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PEOPLE & ARTSTuesday 29 March 2016
After 75 years, Wonder Woman gets her big screen due
LINDSEY BAHR first time the lasso-wielding
AP Film Writer crusader has been in major
BURBANK, Calif. (AP) — She live-action film. And it’s all
might not get top billing a setup for her own stand-
in “Batman v Superman: alone feature coming in
Dawn of Justice,” or even 2017 from director Patty
very much screen time, but Jenkins.
Wonder Woman still man- Tasked with playing the Am-
ages to steal the show from azonian warrior is 30-year-
her caped counterparts in old Gal Gadot — a model
the superhero spectacle. who stumbled into acting
It’s not a moment too soon when an agent spotted
either. Despite the popular her photo and asked her to
1970s television series star- audition for a Bond girl role.
ring Lynda Carter, this is the She didn’t get it, but it did
This image released by Warner Bros. Entertainment shows Henry Cavill as Superman, left, Gal
Gadot as Wonder Woman and Ben Affleck as Batman in a scene from “Batman v Superman:
Dawn of Justice.”
Associated Press
eventually lead to a role reporters recently. is especially excited to be
in the fifth and sixth “Fast At 5 feet 10 inches, Gadot bringing this character to
& Furious” movies as the ill- is a striking presence both life.
fated fan favorite Gisele. in person and on the “I’m so happy to be the
Gravity defying car fran- screen. In the film, seen first one who is going to tell
chise aside, Gadot was still as Diana Prince, her outra- the Wonder Woman story,”
a relative unknown when geous cool and skintight Gadot said. “It’s so impor-
she was announced as the asymmetrical frocks turn tant for girls and boys to
new Wonder Woman in the heads of many charac- have a strong female su-
2013. ters — Ben Affleck’s Bruce perhero to look up to.”
And, like many casting de- Wayne included. “Batman v Superman” is a
cisions involving beloved “Gal is so mysterious and tease of an introduction to
characters, hers was not sexy and interesting and the character whose story
met warmly. Many com- strong that whenever she’s will be explored more in
plained that the former on-screen I think there’s “Wonder Woman,” which
Miss Israel was simply too definitely a projection for is currently in production for
thin. An early photo of her men who think, ‘Well I want release next year. Gadot
in the gladiator-inspired to flirt with her,’” Affleck stars alongside Robin
Wonder Woman costume said. “I think she provokes Wright, Connie Nielsen and
assuaged some concerns. in the audience the desire Chris Pine.
By that point, Gadot had to be flirted with.” “I think it’s about time to
gone through nine months While her introduction have a strong female en-
of rigorous training focusing might be predicated on ergy projected into the
on martial arts and sword her glamorous image, her world,” Pine said earlier this
work to get into Wonder power is what makes her year.
Woman shape. It wasn’t stand out, and “Batman Not only is it Wonder Wom-
much of a stretch either, v Superman” gives a little an’s first film, but it’s also
considering Gadot served preview of her fighting skills, the first major film of this
as a combat instructor too. new era of interconnected
in the Israeli army for two “She brings something par- superhero franchises to fo-
years. ticular, something statu- cus on a woman — beat-
Gadot has kept an even esque, something other- ing “Captain Marvel” to
temper about the chatter worldly to the character,” theaters by a year.
from the start. said Henry Cavill, who plays As for Gadot, although
“Being an actress, my re- Superman. “It’s remarkable she’s happy to be one of
sponsibility is to not pay too to see.” the first, she doesn’t want
much attention to all the As the mother of a 4-year- to be the only one either.
noise around me, but to old girl who loves princess- “The more the merrier,”
pay attention to the script, es but often complains she said. “There’s plenty of
to the director, and protect about how the princes are room for many more wom-
the character,” Gadot told always saving them, Gadot en to come.”q
