Wonder Woman 3 fast-tracked by Warner Bros with director Patty Jenkins

Forthcoming film is the third and concluding chapter in the superhero trilogy

Wonder Woman 3 is already in the works with director Patty Jenkins, the film’s studio has revealed.

Warner Bros has fast-tracked development on the next instalment of the DC Comics franchise, with Gal Gadot set to reprise her role as the titular superhero and Jenkins attached to write and direct.

The forthcoming film will be the third and final entry in the popular trilogy. 

The announcement comes only days after the release of Wonder Woman 1984, which debuted on HBO Max and in select movie theatres on Christmas Day. 

The highly anticipated blockbuster is the sequel to Jenkins’ record-breaking 2017 film Wonder Woman, and is the first DC Extended Universe outing since Birds of Prey, starring Margot Robbie, was released in February. 

Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman (© 2018 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.)

“We are excited to be able to conclude [Diana Prince’s] story with our real-life Wonder Women – Gal and Patty – who will return to conclude the long-planned theatrical trilogy,” said Warner Bros chief Toby Emmerich in a statement to Variety.

Emmerich also commended fans around the world for helping to drive “the strong opening weekend performance of Wonder Woman 1984”.

Despite being available to stream at home, the sequel managed to generate a surprising number of theatre ticket sales during pandemic times. The movie collected $16.7 million (£12.31m) over the Christmas weekend, making it the best opening weekend to date amid the pandemic.

HBO Max reported that nearly half of the platform’s subscribers watched Wonder Woman 1984 when it was released on the platform on Friday 25 December, with millions more viewing it through cable or wireless access. The streaming service currently has 12.6 million active users.

The franchise’s second instalment – which saw multiple delays due to the ongoing pandemic – has been mostly received positively by critics and fans.  

The Independent’s four-star review of called the movie “a piece of hopeful, uncynical filmmaking”.

As well as praise for Gadot’s performance, Kristen Wiig’s portrayal as villain Barbara Ann Minerva (aka Cheetah) has also been applauded.

Any details surrounding the final chapter of the trilogy are currently unknown, with a release date yet to be announced.

Gadot’s next outing as Wonder Woman will be in Zack Snyder’s forthcoming cut of Justice League, due to air on HBO Max in 2021.