Wonder Woman 2 shall and will only materialise if this one condition is met, says Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot. The actor is continuing to battle accused Hollywood sexual harasser Brett Ratner by refusing to sign for the superhero sequel unless the film-maker is completely ousted from the franchise.
A Hollywood source told Page Six that Gadot, who in October backed out of a dinner honouring Ratner, where she was due to present him with an award — is taking a strong stance on sexual harassment in Hollywood and doesn’t want her blockbuster-hit Wonder Woman franchise to profit a man accused of sexual misconduct.
Ratner’s production company RatPac-Dune Entertainment helped produce Wonder Woman as part of its co-financing deal with Warner Bros. The movie has grossed more than $400 million internationally, and Ratner’s company will take a healthy share of the profits. A Warner Bros insider explained, “Brett made a lot of money from the success of Wonder Woman, thanks to his company having helped finance the first movie. Now, Gadot is saying she won’t sign for the sequel unless Warner Bros buys Brett out [of his financing deal] and gets rid of him.”
The source also revealed, “Gadot is tough and stands by her principles. She also knows the best way to hit people like Brett Ratner is in the wallet. She also knows that Warner Bros has to side with her on this issue as it develops. They can’t have a movie rooted in women’s empowerment being part-financed by a man, accused of sexual misconduct against women.”
This past week, Warner Bros publicised that it was severing ties with Ratner amid multiple sexual-harassment allegations levelled against him by actresses including Olivia Munn, Natasha Henstridge and now Juno star Ellen Page. Ratner has fervidly denied the allegations through his attorney, Marty Singer.
Ratner now joins the likes of Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey and Louie C K, among others. Pretty shameful but glad these women are setting a precedent by standing up to sexual predators.
Earlier this month, Gadot posted on Instagram: “Bullying and sexual harassment is unacceptable! I stand by all the courageous women confronting their fears and speaking out. Together we stand. We are all united in this time of change.”
And we totally back this real-life ‘Wonder Woman’!
Also, Gadot, who has slowly but steadily gained momentum after the success of her super-hero flick, is all set to attend the Palm Springs International Film Festival in January.
The festival announced it will bestow its ‘Rising Star Award – Actress, on Wonder Woman star Gal Godot’ at its Awards Gala at the Palm Springs Convention Centre. Her expected appearance would follow the headlining performance of television’s Wonder Woman, Lynda Carter, at the same location in August at Comic-Con Palm Springs, reported the Desert Sun.
Festival board chairman Harold Matzner praised Gadot’s performance as the star-spangled warrior in the summer blockbuster film.
“Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman showed us a strong, capable, poised, curious and compassionate character, and her performance has been universally praised, resonating with audiences everywhere,” Matzner said in a statement. “Gal plays the immortal warrior so well, and the film’s themes are especially apt for today, empowering all types of people – women and men, young and old – the world over.”
Wonder Woman, directed by Patty Jenkins and co-starring Chris Pine, earned more than $410 million in the US and over $820 million worldwide. It was the highest-grossing film directed by a woman and the highest-grossing superhero origin film domestically. It also set a record for having the largest opening for a female-led comic-based film.
