Well, so much for all the talk about “Wonder Woman 1984” being a colossal failure, because Warner Bros. just announced that it’s fast-tracking development for “Wonder Woman 3.” Not only that, but Patty Jenkins is set to return to write and direct the film.
READ MORE: ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ Dreams Big, But Wishes It’s Something It’s Not: Compelling [Review]
Not even 24 hours after it was reported that Jenkins may not return for a third “Wonder Woman” but had “two more stories that become the completion of this story,” a press release from Warner Bros. announces that the studio continues to be very much interested in more Diana Prince/Wonder Woman stories, announcing the development of “Wonder Woman 3” with both Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot returning.
“As fans around the world continue to embrace Diana Prince, driving the strong opening weekend performance of ‘Wonder Woman 1984,’ we are excited to be able continue her story with our real life Wonder Women — Gal and Patty — who will return to conclude the long-planned theatrical trilogy,” Warner Bros. chief Toby Emmerich said in a statement meant to indicate this was always the plan, and to dissuade any reports to the contrary.
The announcement comes with the news that “Wonder Woman 1984” opened to an estimated $16.7 million domestic at the box office, the best weekend debut since the pandemic began, according to The Hollywood Reporter. That the statement from Toby Emmerich specifically says “long-planned theatrical trilogy” seems to indicate a traditional theatrical exclusivity window was negotiated into Jenkins’ contract, or at least some other sort of compensation, given how vocal Jenkins has been about her concerns regarding the studio’s move to streaming in 2021.
Give that the announcement is about the development of “Wonder Woman 3,” there’s likely no script yet. So it’s easy to assume that Jenkins won’t start working on the film until after “Star Wars: Rogue Squadron” finishes production ahead of its 2023 release date.