For weeks, Warner Bros. has been negotiating a deal with Patty Jenkins to direct Wonder Woman 2. The filmmaker was holding all the cards as she was the one to bring WB their first DCEU hit, both commercially and critically, with this year’s Wonder Woman. And now it appears that they have inked a deal that will see her return to the helm for the sequel.

Reports confirm that Jenkins will be back for Wonder Woman 2. And this return comes with a nice paycheck. Find out more about this deal here below.

THR says that this deal was based on a precedent established by Wonder Woman‘s overwhelming success at the box office and with critics. It earned north of $400 million domestically, while also $816 million at the worldwide box office. It also helped that the film had a healthy box office run, staying in the top ten for weeks on end. High praise from critics and excellent word of mouth also gave the film what it needed to stay leggy.

This new deal would also make Jenkins the highest-paid female filmmaker in history. According to their sources, it was “challenging” to get to this point.

Talks about her return started almost as soon as Wonder Woman‘s success started. Early reviews praised the film’s hope and optimism, along with a sincere portrayal of the titular character. However, Jenkins was only signed on for one film at the time. So its success put her in a position of power, giving her all the cards she needed when she came to the negotiating table.

Jenkins had already been at work writing a script for the sequel with Geoff Johns since Wonder Woman‘s success back in June.

With this new deal Jenkins “will receive directing and writing fees in the high seven figures (think somewhere in the $7 to $9 million range) on Wonder Woman 2 but, more significantly, will have a considerable backend.” This is a significant jump from the $1 million she was paid to direct Wonder Woman. Sources say she had expected to be paid more than or at least on the level of Zack Snyder, who had directed Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. And while it does fall just a little bit short, what this deal does is set a precedence for female filmmakers as it breaks the glass ceiling for females who are looking to break into the industry.

This is monumental, as it proves that females can direct superhero epics and they deserve to earn as much as their male counterparts. Let’s just hope that other studios start giving female directors the opportunity to helm more superhero films.

Wonder Woman 2 is scheduled to hit theaters on December 13, 2019.

[Source: THR]