In a defining moment for Hollywood’s gender problem, Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman grossed a winning $100.5 million from 4,165 theaters in its domestic box-office debut over the weekend, the biggest opening ever for a female director.
And overseas, Wonder Woman also won the weekend with $122.5 million from 55 markets for a global bow of $223 million, including a No. 1 debut in China with $38 million.
Hollywood studios are notoriously loath to hire female directors, not to mention for a big-budget tentpole featuring a marquee superhero. Wonder Woman’s performance could put even more pressure on film companies to make more job offers to women filmmakers.
The $150 milllion Warner Bros. movie, which stars Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, also launches the first film franchise featuring a female superhero after both Catwoman and Elektra flopped in the mid-2000s. Wonder Woman — which has been in development since 1996 — skewed female (52 percent), almost unheard for a superhero title, which usually draws an audience that is 60 percent male.
“Patty’s vision mesmerized the audience. She is a real talent. Clearly, this is a movie that is resonating with moviegoers around the globe,” said Warners domestic distribution president Jeff Goldstein. “I am sure we will be seeing a lot more of Diana on the big screen.”
Wonder Woman becomes the 16th superhero film to cross $100 million in its domestic box-office launch, a list that is topped by the likes of Marvel’s The Avengers ($207 million), Avengers: Age of Ultron ($191.3 million), Captain America: Civil War ($179.1 million), Iron Man 3 ($174 million) and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice ($166 million). Wonder Woman beat out the openings of the first two Thor and Captain America movies, as well as the first Iron Man.
The previous record-holder for top opening for a female helmer was Sam Taylor-Johnson’s Fifty Shades of Grey, not adjusting for inflation. That film debuted to $93 million over the four-day Valentine’s Day/Presidents Day weekend in 2015, including a three-day haul of $85 million.
Earning rapturous reviews and an A CinemaScore from audiences, Wonder Woman is a much-needed critical win for Warners and DC Entertainment, whose Man of Steel (2013) and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) were largely snubbed.
Wonder Woman also restores the luster to the early summer box office after the worst Memorial Day weekend in 18 years. Overall weekend revenue was up 33 percent over the same frame last year.
Jenkins’ movie opens as World War I pilot Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) and his plane crash on Themyscira, the island of the Amazons, where Princess Diana (Gadot) has been trained by her aunt, the great warrior Antiope (Robin Wright). Soon, Diana leaves the island to try and stop the war, marking the beginning of her transformation into Wonder Woman.
Internationally, Wonder Woman came in ahead of fellow Warners superhero film Man of Steel in many markets, including China. According to the studio, the pic is also pacing ahead of both Guardians of the Galaxy movies, the first two Iron Man films and the first two Captain America titles.
Wonder Woman snagged the fourth-best Warner Bros. opening in both China and Mexico ($8.4 million). It raked in $8.5 million in South Korea and $8.3 million in Brazil. In Europe, the movie debuted to $7.5 million in the U.K., although it lost out in Russia and Italy to Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Wonder Woman has yet to open in several major markets, including France and Germany.
Imax theaters accounted for $18.3 million globally — the third biggest launch for a DC Comics film — including $9 million domestically.
