Patty Jenkins opened up about why negotiating for equal pay on “Wonder Woman 2” was so important
Over the summer, director extraordinaire Patty Jenkins broke just about a million barriers when Wonder Woman hit theaters. In addition to being the highest-grossing film directed by a woman, it’s also the highest-grossing film in the DCEU franchise, grossing $821 million worldwide — thus far.
From the moment Wonder Woman was released, fans and critics alike were shocked that DC had only signed Jenkins on to direct one film. Though, that is (unfortunately) commonplace for directors without extensive blockbuster experience. But thanks to the overwhelming critical acclaim and the shattering of box-office records, Jenkins was armed with some *serious* leverage when she returned to the table to negotiate — and boy did she use it.
In early September, it was confirmed that Patty Jenkins would return to direct Wonder Woman 2 — but with a major pay raise.
According to reports, Jenkins will receive $7 to $9 million dollars for the sequel, making her the highest-paid female director of all time — and honestly she couldn’t be more deserving.
* Diana Prince herself, Gal Gadot, thinks so too! *
In a recent Variety cover story, Jenkins opened up about her negotiation for the sequel and it came down to fighting for equal pay.
“You’re of course aware of the money, Jenkins said. “But I’ve never been more aware of a duty than I was in this deal. I was extremely aware that I had to make sure I was being paid what the male equivalent would be.
As much as the entertainment industry lauds itself for being a tentpole of progress, it’s safe to say — for many, many reasons — it isn’t, and that extends to the gender pay gap. In the profile, Jenkins opens up about how important it was for her to be the person to advocate for equal pay.
“Women who have not been in a system that allows them to build up the same level of pay as men are not able to be paid the same as men forever if that’s the way it continues, Jenkins says. “You have to ask for it to happen, and you have to ask when you’re the appropriate person.
Jenkins added that Charlize Theron, who won the Best Actress Oscar for her role in Jenkins’ film Monster, had to advocate for appropriate pay in the past — and she felt she needed to do the same. “I knew when Charlize had to do it on Snow White and the Huntsman, and I felt that it was my job to do it here.”
We’re so in awe at how much of a Wonder Woman Patty Jenkins continues to be in real life. We’re so excited to see her return to helm Wonder Woman 2, which is currently slated to be released on December 13th, 2019. And we can’t wait to see what sort of badassery Jenkins has in store for us!
