Warner Home Video has released an interview with the screenwriter for the new Wonder Woman animated movie, Michael Jelenic. Here are some highlights from the conversation:
QUESTION: As this is Wonder Woman’s origin story, what did you know you needed to include and on what did you want to focus?
MICHAEL JELENIC: We had to hit certain elements that are part of Wonder Woman’s myth, and my job was to answer what sort of ramifications her origins would have on her character during her journey to becoming a hero. It’s basically trying to boil down essential Wonder Woman elements into one story. We looked at the stuff that the fans had to see – the iconic things about Wonder Woman – and then tried to put a twist on them. We’ve seen the lasso and the invisible jet before, so what’s another way we could use them? I wanted to incorporate all these iconic Wonder Woman moments into the larger overall story.
As Jelenic continued through the interview, he said that his take on Wonder Woman was “a romantic comedy mixed with “300.”" He explained, “that’s what Wonder Woman really is – a very simple sort of love story that’s frequently comedic, primarily in the pairing of these two key characters, set against a backdrop of so much violence and action.” The comedy, he said, came primarily from Steve Trevor, who became his favorite character.
Perhaps most illuminating about the film is Jelenic’s description of the character development behind the Princess of Themyscira:
Diana had to represent all the feminine ideals and virtues, the things that make women great. At the same time, she’s a very strong female character in terms of both her physical prowess and her personality. So we tried to find a balance to create a character that doesn’t lose her femininity by being a strong action hero.
Ultimately, we wanted to explore her journey of discovery. She’s been raised to believe that women don’t need men, that women are morally better. If there is a message to the film, it’s basically that men and women are not perfect. Men have their problems. Women have their
problems. And when they interact, these problems often grow. But at the end of the day, men and women are actually stronger and better when they work together to overcome these problems.
But wait — there’s more! In addition to the interview, Warner Home Video has also sent new screenshots of the upcoming animated film, which will be premiered at the New York Comic Con and released March 9, 2009.
[Via Warner Home Video.]
