A few weeks ago reports began to circulate that Warner Brothers was looking to hire a female director to oversee their planned Wonder Woman film planned for a 2017 release. The reported shortlist had a number of good candidates on it and it now appears as if the studio has picked a name from that list they like.
The Hollywood Reporter’s Heat Vision blog is reporting that their sources are telling them that Game of Thrones director Michelle MacLaren has emerged as the most likely candidate for the job in the studio’s deliberations.
MacLaren became a favorite back in August, taking several meetings. Things cooled over the autumn as the studio widened its search, even beyond the female perspective. Sources say that MacLaren’s name surfaced again in the last week as a front-runner, even though as studio insiders say the company is not married to the idea of a woman director.
If MacLaren gets the job, she’ll have beaten the likes of Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker), Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight), Mimi Leder (Deep Impact), Karyn Kusama (Jennifer’s Body), Julie Taymor (Across the Universe) and Tricia Brock (The Walking Dead), all of whom were reportedly being considered for the job by Warners. It would also make MacLaren the first female director of a comic book-based film since Lexi Alexander’s Punisher: War Zone (2008).
MacLaren’s work on Game Of Thrones certainly gives her hands on experience with visual effects as well as action – two elements that will undoubtedly be a part of the film. And I dare say that while the idea of a female director for a Wonder Woman film does run the risk of tokenism – I would be more impressed if the studio was looking to let female director helm a male headlined superhero film – most of the directors on the studio’s short list do have impressive enough qualifications he job.
Warner Brothers had no comment, and will probably remain silent until a deal is reached and signed.
