Wonder Woman smashed records this weekend to become the biggest domestic opening for a female director ever. Directed by Patty Jenkins and starring Gal Gadot under Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment, the film grossed an estimated $100.5 million at more than 4,000 theaters domestically, according to a statement from Warner Bros. Thursday night\u2019s pre-show raked in $11 million alone. Lana and Lilly Wachowski previously held the record for \u201cThe Matrix Reloaded,\u201d which opened May 15, 2003, and grossed almost $92M in its first weekend. The Hollywood Reporter previously pegged \u201cWonder Woman\u201d debut at $95M in North American and upward of $100 million internationally, based on pre-release tracking. Jenkins said she was intent on getting the character of Wonder Woman right because of what the representation of heroism means. \u201cI\u2019m such a believer in the genre because I\u2019m a believer in mankind turning stories into about what it means to be a hero and what would I do if I was a hero and how would that feel,\u201d she told Screen Rant. \u201cAnd so, you know, there is always that opportunity in any movie with a metaphor to use to make something beautiful that really touches people. And this is such an important time in the world for people to think about what kind of hero they would want to be and what we\u2019re going to do to save this world that I was honored to get to join in the dialogue.\u201d<\/p>\n
The movie had to face an uphill battle of sexism both on screen and off. From perfectly chiding \u201cits male mudslingers with humor and grace\u201d in the script to offering a women only screening of the film in spite of male critics, \u201cWonder Woman\u201d stands as an emblem of female empowerment. Reaching Hollywood\u2019s biggest opening weekend for a female director is certainly a glass-ceiling-breaking milestone, but Jenkins says there is still more that needs to be done when it comes to who gets to tell Hollywood\u2019s stories. \u201cUntil studios change their ways and stop only generating from within the same small group of people and until they become interested in attracting more diverse kinds of stories and audiences, women directors will continue to be one of the many, many kind of collateral damage,\u201d Jenkins told LeanIn. \u201cIf you are still focused on attracting young men to the box office, you will continue to hire mostly (formerly) young men to speak to them. The irony is that the data now clearly shows that this audience is no longer the most powerful in the world. Middle-aged women are. Yet the studio system still seems very slow to figure out how to shift their approach.\u201d<\/p>\n
After the weekend\u2019s box office numbers came out, Twitter users wanted to remind the world that female directors and superhero fans are and have always been awesome. Even Producer Joss Whedon adorably responded to the backlash of the \u201cwomen only\u201d first screening to those male critics claiming it was sexist with this tweet:<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t worry angry dudes, you can stop being angry now ? To all the dudes upset about the all-female \u201cwonder Woman\u201d movie screenings: fear not! There was already an all-male screening. \u201cI got to see Wonder Woman by myself weeks ago so shut up, there\u2019s already been a man-only screening,\u201d adding: \u201cOh and it\u2019s a goddamn delight.\u201d Oh, Joss, you are a goddamn delight.<\/p>\n
Thank God For Some Male Producers In Hollywood Not Afraid To Go Against \u201cOld Men In Suits\u201d To Make Movies About Strong Female Heroes!!! <\/b><\/p>\nSusan Z\u2019s Conclusion:<\/h2>\n
I believe the movie will do more than very well. The previews are good and with the strong feminist movement happening now, you will be seeing lots of little girls in Wonder Woman outfits and probably some big girls too! Lol!<\/p>\n
Strength: <\/b> Inverted (Upside Down) This card is inner strength. Since inverted, I feel the movie is trying to bring about a different definition of what society calls female strength.<\/p>\n
Knight of Wands: <\/b> Inverted
\nThis card is wanting freedom to do what you want to do and impatience. I feel this is both the director and the producer\u2019s energy in getting this movie made.<\/p>\n
The Fool:<\/b> Inverted
\nThis card is trust, faith and optimism. Since pulled inverted, I believe many felt there was a na\u00efve approach this movie would be accepted by movie goers and not laughed at as just a \u201cwoman trying to act like a man\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Wonder Woman Shatters Box Office With Biggest Female Director Opening Ever. Wonder Woman smashed records this weekend to become the biggest domestic opening for a female director ever. Directed by Patty Jenkins and starring Gal Gadot under Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment, the film grossed an estimated $100.5 million at more than 4,000 theaters domestically,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":6435,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[1191,361,360],"class_list":{"0":"post-6438","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-celeb-news","8":"tag-box-office","9":"tag-gal-gadot","10":"tag-wonder-woman"},"yoast_head":"\n