Warner Bros. is planning a major Oscars push for Wonder Woman

By Katie Rife  |  July 28, 2017 | 9:36pm
Aux Features Film

That old saw about “comic books—they’re not just for kids anymore!” went out with pet rocks and orange shag carpeting, but even in 2017, when superhero movies carry the film industry on their muscular, rippling backs, the genre struggles for acceptance come Oscars time. Some people thought Deadpool had a shot at a Best Picture nomination last year after its surprise Golden Globes nods, but those people were being way too optimistic, especially about an R-rated comedy where Ryan Reynolds says “fuck” a lot. Not even The Dark Knight, which gave Health Ledger a posthumous award for his role as The Joker, was nominated for Best Picture.

And so, save for the sound and visual effects categories and Best Makeup and Hairstyling—the category that brought you the phrase “Academy Award winner Suicide Squad”—Oscars for comic-book movies remain a rarity. Warner Bros. is hoping to change that in the wake of Wonder Woman’s success, though, as Variety reports that the studio is already preparing to push the film in a major (and majorly expensive) Oscars campaign with the goal of making it the first comic-book movie to get a Best Picture nod. It’s also planning to put its awards-season resources behind director Patty Jenkins, who would be the first director to get an Oscar nomination for a superhero film, and, if she wins, would only be the second woman ever to win Best Director. (The first was Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker.)

This is all very early, obviously, and the studio has declined to comment on Variety’s story. But it’s probably safe to assume that Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot, who just joined the Academy this year, will be down to cast her vote for the film. A lot depends on Gadot’s next outing as the Amazon warrior, Justice League, which could hurt Wonder Woman’s awards chances if it leaves a bad taste in voters’ mouths come November.

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