Wonder Woman 1984 star Gal Gadot and director Patty Jenkins were each reportedly paid $10 million dollars by Warner Bros. to praise the film's simultaneous premiere on HBO Max and in theaters.
According to the New York Times, Warner Bros. approached William Morris Endeavor and Creative Artists, the talent agencies for Gadot and Jenkins, respectively, in order to get them on board with its Wonder Woman 1984/HBO Max plans. Both agencies are said to have responded by inquiring how their talents would be compensated for the move, andhe negotiations reportedly ended with Gadot and Jenkins each receiving more than $10 million dollars.
Agents for Gadot and Jenkins argued that the duo should be paid what the sequel to 2017's Wonder Woman would have earned were it not for the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic causing the closure of movie theaters worldwide. While the Wonder Woman 1984 creators were filled in on WarnerMedia's plan to release its slate of 2021 films simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max, many agencies and talent management were apparently kept in the dark, including big-name stars like Denzel Washington, Margot Robbie, Will Smith, Keanu Reeves, Hugh Jackman and Angelina Jolie.
Tenet director Christopher Nolan publicly dismissed the company's plan, saying, "They don’t even understand what they’re losing." Nolan's remarks came after both AMC Theatres and IMAX reported a stock plummet, following WarnerMedia's announcement. Nolan cited this recent development as well, adding, "Their decision makes no economic sense and even the most casual Wall Street investor can see the difference between disruption and dysfunction."
As an archaeologist, Diana who works at the Smithsonian Museum, is a Wonder Woman who has extraordinary superpowers, said to be the strongest hero in the world. In 1984, Wonder Woman is in desperate deadly danger in face of an enormous conspiracy of the businessman Max, who sings loudly to fulfill people's desires, and a mysterious foe, Cheetah. Can Wonder Woman stop the world’s collapse alone?
Directed and co-written by Patty Jenkins, Wonder Woman 1984 stars Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal and Natasha Rothwell. The film arrives in theaters and HBO Max on Dec. 25, while debuting theatrically in international markets starting on Dec. 16. The film will be available for a month on HBO Max in the U.S. included at no additional cost.
Source: New York Times