Remember a few years back when Joss Whedon was going to make a Wonder Woman movie? Then shortly after the announcement the whole thing was shelved? Then Warner Bros. made that Wonder Woman pilot in 2011 written by David E. Kelley and starring Adrianne Palicki… and never even released it? Why is it that Wonder Woman can’t seem to get a fair shake in Hollywood? The classic television series with Lynda Carter did well, though granted that was a different time in entertainment. Well now stuntman and director Jesse V. Johnson has put together a fan film/trailer/proof of concept of sorts that shows a potential style in which a Wonder Woman movie could actually work. And I’m giving full credit where credit is due to the fine folks at Latino Review for finding this beauty. Let’s start with the theater-quality poster image.
Now if you’re wondering who exactly Johnson is and where he came from, he’s no stranger to the entertainment industry. Jesse’s latest film is THE PACKAGE starring Steve Austin and Dolph Lundgren, which you can look for on DVD and Blu-ray. But he’s performed as a stuntman or stunt coordinator on recent theatrical fare like Steven Spielberg’s LINCOLN, Paul Thomas Anderson’s THE MASTER, James Cameron’s AVATAR, and much, much more. As if that wasn’t cool enough, the Latino Review guys also pointed out his uncle is uber-famous stunt expert Vic Armstrong, who worked on the Indiana Jones films and even doubled for Harrison Ford on RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK – that, my friends, is a good Hollywood pedigree.
Jesse found his Diana Prince in Nina Bergman, used cinematographer HC Van Urfalian, and even got the great Peter Stormare to appear in a few scenes. Johnson had the following to say about putting the project together:
It was my manager / producing partner Kailey Marsh’s idea to shoot the trailer. She really believes I should be a studio director, and thought shooting Wonder Woman would be a great way to show off my skills in a fun way that people could get excited about.
We’re also posting the official disclaimer for Jesse’s film, noting it is just a fan film and no rights are assumed or implied:
DISCLAIMER: Wonder Woman is a non-profit film for private use only, and is not for sale or resale. It is strictly for the promotional use of the filmmaker. It is in NO way endorsed by Warner Brothers or DC Comics nor is it intended to undermine or compete with any existing or forthcoming material. Wonder Woman is created for fun and should not be sold, rented or used for anything of the sort. Station 3 and Jesse V. Johnson make no claim to any of the characters, locations, storylines, props, costume designs, logos, names or situations that are trademarked, copyrighted or otherwise protected by the federal, state, international or other intellectual property law. This film is produced solely for the personal enjoyment of the cast, crew and any other Wonder Woman fans. No copyright infringement is intended or implied.
Give it a watch and tell us your thoughts in the comments. Would you like to see a Wonder Woman movie done in this style? Think it could work? We sure do! I hope Warner Bros. and DC Comics is paying attention here, and for all the right reasons…
I love the look of this. I’m not sure why the powers that be can’t wrap their minds around a female hero carrying a movie franchise. I’ve been a big Wonder Woman fan since introducing my twin nieces to her a couple of years ago. Great job Jesse V. Johnson, David E. Kelley and Adrianne Palicki. Thanks for a few minutes of thrills.
Lance, glad you like it too, but slight correction – David E. Kelley and Adrianne Palicki were involved with the canceled pilot, not this fan film. Jesse V. Johnson made the fan film and Nina Bergman is playing Wonder Woman in it.
You can plug Capt. America into this and come up with the same thing. Why not do Wonder Woman? A woman who fights injustice in the MODERN world (lots there besides just neo-Nazis that are threatening humanity in every way possible) in order to HELP people and empower the disenfranchised. A hero who celebrates being a woman, who revels in her humanity, and celebrates the family that is humanity.
If ya mean in the style of GOOD. Heck yeah! Really,really well done!! Great job guys!!!! Doing a WWII story….I just wonder..no pun intended….How does she age to modern times. Cap Am gets Capcicled. Does she age slower due to being an Amazon? I guess would rather have a modern movie with WWII flashbacks. As long as it was as well done as this Fan Film…let’s finally see a WW movie. 🙂
YESSSS! Our greatest American female superhero ICON needs to be done correctly and this is a great direction on how you do it! I always said it should take place in WWII. Now just make sure the story is awesome and maybe we can finally have the Wonder Woman the fans deserve. (I did see the pilot of the David E Kelly NBC project and it was truly a pitiful shame on every level). Pay attention Warner!!!
There are some interesting elements, but it’s not what I would go for. For one thing, I hope that they don’t do a period piece, that’s just a personal preference. However, the thing that I see lacking in your film is her powers. It should go beyond just martial arts, even though WW is the universe’s foremost martial artist. There should be scenes using super-strength, like maybe catching the SS commander’s car and throwing it through the air. I also wasn’t fond of her using the machine gun. What would be more quintessentially WW would be for her to throw her tiara at the plane and knock of the its propeller.
Sorry about the mistake. I think the period piece would be a good intro to the character but being magical/immortal, you could easily step forward to contemporary times and show her continued struggle to find peace and justice in this “man” controlled world. To help people around the world.
A better looking suit and actress portraying Wonder Woman and this is a Hollywood hit. Thought Wonder Woman’s headband also became a boomerang or some other type of weapon.
Definitely would love it,go to see it,and bought it.We need it