Add singer-actress Beyoncé Knowles to the ever-growing list of stars who would like to play superheroes on the big screen.
“I want to do a superhero movie and what would be better than Wonder Woman?” she tells The Los Angeles Times’ Geoff Boucher. “It would be great. And it would be a very bold choice. A black Wonder Woman would be a powerful thing. It’s time for that, right?”
While Beyoncé isn’t the first actress to throw her lasso into the ring, she may be among the few to actually meet with representatives of Warner Bros. and DC Comics to let them know just how much she desires the role.
Maybe Beyoncé, who co-starred in Austin Powers in Goldmember and Dream Girls, is just what — or, rather, who — Wonder Woman needs to finally get the movie off the ground.
The project has languished in Hollywood development hell for years, as a parade of screenwriters took turns at a script. The movie finally showed real signs of life in March 2005, when Joss Whedon was brought on board to write and direct.
However, in February 2007, Whedon bowed out because of creative differences with Warner Bros. and producer Joel Silver. Even before his departure was made public, the studio bought a script from a pair of newcomers, supposedly as a preemptive measure to protect itself from a plagiarism lawsuit. But considering that their story took place during World War II, and Whedon’s was set in the present, that seems unlikely.
In October 2007, Silver announced Wonder Woman had been put on hold so the studio could focus on the Justice League movie. When that much-maligned ensemble project was officially “tabled” in April 2008, Silver said of Wonder Woman: “It’s sitting there, and when I figure out a way to do it, I’ll do it.”
So, could Beyoncé be the answer Silver is looking for?
November 9th, 2008 at 10:45 am
A black Wonder Woman? I can deal with that. She’s a princess made of clay, she doesn’t have to look Greek. Beyonce as Wonder Woman though? No thank you.
November 9th, 2008 at 10:56 am
Black is bold and relevant and it would probably be the most interesting addition to the Wonder Woman catalog since the magic lasso.
I don’t think Beyonce is the girl for the job but I dig the idea.
PLUS: It’ll be fun to see Gail Simone twist out an issue that makes Diana black; so it match the movie for tie in purposes.
November 9th, 2008 at 11:23 am
Bey as Diana? Please, no. She just doesn’t possess the acting chops yet. Maybe I’ll change my mind after seeing her portray Etta James. I doubt it but I just don’t see Beyonce being able to portray a greek amazon.
Lucy Lawless in her Zena prime would’ve been the best choice but time has passed. I was actually hoping for Christina Carpenter when Joss Whedon was attached to the project. Now, I’m just hoping it’s not Megan Fox or Beyonce and they find a credible actress.
November 9th, 2008 at 11:54 am
Regardless of skin color, I don’t think of Beyonce as an actress. Hell, I don’t think of her as much a singer either. WB got it right when they cast the actors for Nolan’s Bat-flicks. Up and down, they got great actors for the roles (Katie Holmes or Maggie Gyllenhall aside, and I didn’t mind them either). Get quality people to play these roles if you want people to take them seriously. Nolan understands that, and so does Jon Favreau. Iron Man had excellent casting too. I don’t think anyone, by comparison, took Kate Bosworth seriously as Lois Lane. Maybe not even Kevin Spacey as Luthor. Beyonce would make for a very campy Wonder Woman, IMO.
I think some people also have a point when they ask if Black Panther should be played by a white guy or not. That wouldn’t fly, obviously, nor would I expect it to. I wouldn’t want a white guy playing GL John Stewart (whom I hope they’ll work into the GL movie, or at least a sequel).
I think there can be flexibility with characters like Nick Fury or Kingpin. Those were great casting choices for those parts. Some characters are simply iconic, however, and too well engrained in the public’s eye. I don’t think you should mess with them. At that point, it could overshadow the film and then the media’s focus becomes all about “the black Wonder Woman” and not about the movie itself. Being made of clay, as Lawrence points out, it might not be that big of a deal. I just think that sticking to the basics generally makes for the best approach though. That’s what the best comic book films have done.
That said, at a younger age I think Vanessa Williams might’ve made a good Wonder Woman. Mostly, it’s just about casting a decent actor for the part.
November 9th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Beyonce’s playing Etta James? That opens up a whole new can of worms when you talk about appropriate casting… How many extra pounds is she planning to put on to play that part??
Agreed about Lucy Lawless. Hell, maybe she still could play the part! She’s still in great shape. I always likes Catherine Zeta-Jones for the part too, though I suppose she’s getting on in years too. I still think Ms. Zeta-Jones, or Angelina Jolie, could make a great Talia Al-Ghul in spite of her age.
November 9th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
If she wants to be a superhero, and lets face it, she only wants to make a superhero movie because they’re big at the moment, give her Vixen or make a Daughters of the Dragon movie and have her play Misty. She still can’t act though.
November 9th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
If she could convey strength and warrior spirit, I would say fine. But I don’t think she can. I still want to see Jolie in the role because she has presence.
November 10th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
The black Wonder Woman?
I guess they could call the film Nubia.
November 16th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
Beyonce has far too big a butt, far too thick of thighs and even knees too! She probably has fat ankles too! Her body is NOT ONE to be in a Wonder Woman outfit! Did you SEE her on SNL!