Bilson has already proved her suitability for the iconic part, after she donned a Wonder Woman outfit for a sexy seduction scene in 'The O.C.'. A host of Hollywood stars had been tipped for the role, including Catherine Zeta-Jones, Cameron Diaz and 'Van Helsing' actress Kate Beckinsale, who turned down the part saying she "did not want to embarrass her daughter" by wearing the revealing outfit.
Dawn put it better than me:
Has she displayed strength? Athletic prowess? A memorable character? Perhaps a beauty that’s more handsome then pretty? Does she give off a warrior vibe?
No. She, “she donned a Wonder Woman outfit for a sexy seduction scene.”
Because the KEY part of Wonder Woman’s character, as we ALL know, is her power of sexy seduction.
Oh geez. Oh frig. I need a beer.
(Well, I'd go with Great Hera, rather than Oh Frigg)
Anyway, I don't believe it for a moment, because I live in denial. I mean, the mere rumor is my worst fears about the movie come to life, all too plausible given Joss Whedon's confession that he bases his heroines on Kitty Pryde.
I'd rather they shelved it until the patriarchy's been pelted with high heels, then ground into the dirt with sensible shoes than go with a hot looking brunnette with pipe-cleaners for arms. (And if I can't get enough henchwomen, or the funding for that purple death ray, that means it'll be a long time...)
It's just a rumor. One which already made the rounds a while ago, IIRC.
ReplyDeleteMe, I'm still hoping for Gina Torres. Gorgeous and kickass.
(And yeah, I know it'll never happen. But man, would that be cool.)
ReplyDeleteI know, but just hearing the rumor made me hope the movie doesn't get made, if this is the best people can think of!
ReplyDeleteI sort of half expect that this is just a rumor and nothing will come of it...but I also fully expect that whoever they cast as Wonder Woman for this film will be quite petite and too young-looking for the role.
ReplyDeleteWell, there's an outside chance that they might come to their senses - I saw something on the AP this morning about a fashion festival in Italy barring models who were rated "underweight" on the BMI. Now it's true that the BMI is a load of crap, but hell, if fashionistas can abandon the sticky mcstickgirl idea, maybe Hollywood will get a clue.
ReplyDeleteRealistically, I can't think of anybody that could really play Wonder Woman - maybe Monica Bellucci, if she hit the gym? Ideally, they'll pick some stunning late-20s Mediterranean girl with a classical face and real curves and then send her to do some weight training. Joss Whedon did ask whatsherface to gain ten pounds for the Firefly TV show, so it's not completely absurd.
And speaking as a member of the privileged white male oppressor class, don't try and pin crappy movies on us. Those cretins in Hollywood are just pandering to the lumpenproles.
Toby -- I hate having to explain this, but Patriarchy =/= All Men, Individual Man, Men in my Family. Pariarchy = Power structure that favors men to the detriment of women. There's a difference, you see.
ReplyDeleteRagnell-
ReplyDeleteAs a Superman fan who lived through all the ups and (many) downs of the Superman Returns pre-production saga (let's not forget Nicolas Cage was going to be Tim Burton's Superman), I say to you: Welcome to the club!
Yup, it's all just part of the ride when you're a fan of a particular character. For some reason, DC characters really go through development hell before the Hollywood types eventually come back to their senses and roll with a reasonably close interpretation.
So....hang in there. The journey's just begun!
As for casting, if it were twenty years ago, Mirina Sirtis (Deanna Troy from Star Trek: The Next Generation) would have been my pick.
ReplyDeletehttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v139/mengblom/misc_photos/marina_sirtis.jpg
However, the casting role I'll fight to my death for is, of course, Lynda Carter as Hippolyta. I mean, come on.
"Gold whip"?
ReplyDeleteRob, Gina Torres is perfect dream casting. Torres is very versatile, I remember being quite surprised when I realized that she played the mezmerizing Jade on Angel.
ReplyDeleteAs far as this rumor goes, come on, give Whedon at least a little credit. He may or may not be your thing, but no can say that he doesn't like his comics. He has also shown a consistent level of respect for almost every character he has written, whether on TV, in comics or whatever. He is also anal about casting. If you have ever listened to any of his commentaries he spends far more time than is healthy thinking about actors.
ReplyDeleteSome people might feel that his writing style doesn't always fit well with every character or project that has crossed his path but that is a different issue completely. I for one was extremely excited to learn that he is taking over Runaways once the current team move on. So, at least until something is confirmed give him a little credit in the casting department.
Hi Ragnell,
ReplyDeleteYou said, Anyway, I don't believe it for a moment, because I live in denial.
I don't believe it, either, but I fear that the rumors are placing terrible expectations on the film. I remember when Daredevil came out, the first thing I heard was not "Ben Affleck? Really?" but rather, "Jennifer Garner is playing a Greek Ninja?!?"
Or maybe that was the first thing I thought. I can't remember.
*sigh*
Ciao,
Amy
I'm totally and absolutely confused.... has Lucy Lawless just gotten too old for the job? It seems so obvious to me. She's known for playing an iconic, strong, dark haired, warrior beauty with a special thing curled and hooked to her hip.
ReplyDeleteWhat am I missing here that they're going for such young and possibly unseasoned actresses?
He is also anal about casting. If you have ever listened to any of his commentaries he spends far more time than is healthy thinking about actors.
ReplyDeleteYeah. He also has a really glaring thing for emotionally helpless superpowered characters played by incredibly skinny young actresses.
I'm totally and absolutely confused.... has Lucy Lawless just gotten too old for the job? It seems so obvious to me. She's known for playing an iconic, strong, dark haired, warrior beauty with a special thing curled and hooked to her hip.
ReplyDeletePersonally I tend to think of Wonder Woman at the beginning of her career as a somewhat younger heroine (say mid-late 20s), whereas Xena was more of an experienced, "been-there-done-that" Greek heroine in the same style as Herakles or Odysseus. I like Lucy Lawless, but I don't think she's quite the right age.
Now, if they needed an actress to play Hippolyta...
I would take any one of those actresses, for any reason (no matter how lecherous & stupid) than see the rumor my mother heard come to fruition - that Kat McPhee, off-key singing robot & runner-up in American Idol, would play Diana. I'll take any other actress with excuse than have that.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a suggestion for an actress to play Wonder Woman, but I do think that, as Ragnell said, Wonder Woman should be tall. It seems to me that most of the women suggested here are pretty average in height.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I'm hoping for some wonderful actress who is unknown to the general population.
Sleestak caught that 'gold whip' bit too. I'm sure that's just a reporter's slip (hopefully not Freudian), because if you give WW a gold whip, you might as well go all out and give her an invisible Megazord or something.
ReplyDeleteIdeally? Unknown actress. I could almost see how the juxtaposition of a "pipe-cleaner" armed woman throwing around a tank could be striking, if done really, really well. But of course, this all falls under the heading of 'vile speculation.' Which could be a good blog name...
Meh - Hollywood rumor. Most likely started by Bilson's agent to get casting directors to look at his/her client. She jumps up a bit on the list because she's already got a picture in costume, so no one has to imagine what she'd look like. I'd give this about as much credence right now as a Wizard Magazine Casting Call article.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see Gina Torres - personally I think she'd be perfect for it - but I doubt that DC would go for it (her look doesn't match the "iconic look" for Wonder Woman). I'm amused that Kate Beckinsale didn't want to "embarrass her daughter" by wearing a Wonder Woman costume, but she's perfectly willing to be the star of BOTH Underworld movies...
I rather like Catherine Zeta-Jones, she's drop-dead gorgeous and fairly tall, and actually knows how to act and stuff. However, I fear that we are going to have to go through months and months of rumors about every "hawt" young starlet/model with darkish hair out there. I know...Paris Hilton! Just give her a black wig and she'd be perfect! Blurrggg!!
ReplyDeleteWow.. I think it's just me. But in my head, the ideal age for Wonder Woman has always been late 30's / Early 40's. She's got such a maternal instinct that in my mind always causes me to add 10 years to the character's age. And really, beauty doesn't stop at age 20 :)
ReplyDeleteBut, in the end I'll be happy if they choose an actress who has not only SEEN a Big Mac, but knows what one tastes like.
Paris already has a black wig -- she was wearing it when she left the cop shop after her DUI. Could that whole thing have been an audition?
ReplyDeleteRagnell, I *heart* the title of this post!
ReplyDeleteRagnell, the use of the phrase "white male oppressor class" and the word "lumpenproles" were meant to be indicators that I was being facetious in that last paragraph. I should have included some phrases about keeping the brothers down or grinding minorities under my jackbooted heel to make the joking tone more clear. I did not take the patriarchy line as a personal attack.
ReplyDeleteFWIW, I think Katherine Heigl would make a dyno-mite WW. She's tall, athletic, drop dead gorgeous with very classical features, and at least as good an actress as Lynda Carter.
ReplyDeleteYeah. He also has a really glaring thing for emotionally helpless superpowered characters played by incredibly skinny young actresses.
ReplyDeleteBuffy didn't get incredibly skinny until the show was already well underway, actually. (It was about season- 3? 4?) River was teeny, but that had its reasons (she was only intermittently superpowered on the show anyway, and off-and-on in the movie, come to think of it.)
This is going to have the same problem as the Routh Superman casting...a main character that looks more like an extra from Dawson's Creek than an iconic godlike character. Yech.
ReplyDeleteShe's a hottie though, I'll give it to her, but she's a kid.
Toby -- Nah, I'm just a little humor-impaired right now.
ReplyDeleteThis has to be the tenth woman of this body type I've heard in casting rumors, and this one was the MOST insulting.
I'm actually more disturbed by Mischa Barton bandied about for a Supergirl remake.
ReplyDeleteIs it wrong for me to want them to do a movie with the current white-suit super-powered super-spy Diana Prince?
I TOTALLY agree with you about rather not having a movie made than having bad casting. And, I'm one of the biggest Wonder Woman fans out there.
ReplyDeleteI honestly don't think Rachel Bilson or Lindsay Lohan or any of these others are going to be the next Wonder Woman...or, maybe I like to live in denial, too.
We talk so much about how could somebody replace Christopher Reeve as Superman in a movie, but I think the bigger challenge is how could somebody replace Lynda Carter (who I would still love to see play Hippolyta in the movie) as Wonder Woman. She was Wonder Woman. And, I'm not just talking looks, but the fact that she managed to be strong without being manly and embraced femininity to its fullest.
I hope, whoever they go with, is a relative unknown. As I mentioned on Amy Reads' blog, I'm still hoping for Morena Baccarin who, while she's had a few things under her belt, is still relatively unknown. From what I've seen from her acting, she manages to tap that inner strength I've come to know of Wonder Woman. And, I can totally see her in Wonder Woman's costume.
Gina Torres played Jasmine on Angel, not Jade.
ReplyDeleteAnd the last solid rumour I heard (and didn't mind hearing) was that Whedon was looking toward India to find Wonder Woman. Priyanka Chopra, a rather popular Bollywood actress.
Frigga sent me a vision requesting that you remove that link, "Ragnell." This is not Soviet Jotunheim, and She requests that you stay on YOUR side of the cosmos, and she will stay on HERS.
ReplyDeleteRespectfully,
Chris
Ragnell, this is the guy who made "Serenity". Do not sell him short. 'Nuff said.
ReplyDeleteI just saw the "Wonder Woman costume" clip on YouTube. (I didn't know who Rachel Bilson was, so I had to see if she was as inappropriate for the role as everyone says.)
ReplyDeleteYe...gods...
Just...no. Hell no.
A good rule of thumb: Diana should not be played by a woman who could be toppled by a stiff breeze. She should also be old enough to legally drink. Hard to bring wisdom to the Man's World when you're barely past pimples yourself.
A good choice would almost certainly have to look outside of standard starletry. Think about the requirements: at least 5'10" (preferably taller), built like...well, like an Amazon, and a good actress with commanding screen presence who'd be willing to run around a major movie in star-spangled hot pants for two hours? There can't be a lot of those.
Whedon will almost certainly go waifish. The only question is to what degree. Le sigh.
The Joss is good. The Joss is wise.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, all the projects where Joss didn't have his actors being compromised by other projects where they had to go and be whisper-thin and waifish OR he had a good deal more creative control over how the characters were presented (anyone read any of the arguments he had with Fox over portraying Wash/Zoe as a happy married couple who rarely argued seriously and actually had sex on a regular basis?) - he's been pretty good, to my mind at least, about showing strong, smart female characters.
I read an interview with Charisma Carpenter on TVGuide.com where she talked about auditioning for the role. I'm on the fence about her acting ability (she can quip with the best of them, as shown on Buffy, Angel and Veronica Mars, but I've yet to see her do more than that). One thing she'll never be is waifish, though.
ReplyDelete