After years and years of saying it would happen, DC Comics finally released a live-action Wonder Woman movie this year. The movie has been a hit with both critics and audiences alike.
The movie has also been seen as victory for feminist filmmaking, owing to its female director and lead character.
Here are 44 things you probably didn’t know about the Wonder Woman movie.
Wonder Woman Facts
44. Adults Welcome
The new Wonder Woman movie is the first live-action portrayal of the character that is meant to appeal to more than just kids.
43. Family Treasure
In the film Wonder Woman's tiara is an heirloom from Antiope. This is a change from the comics where it could be used as a weapon.
42. Banned
The movie is currently prohibited in Lebanon because the country is officially at war with Israel. Gal Gadot, the star of the film, is Israeli and served in the military. For that reason, the Lebanese government refuses to show the movie.
41. A Long Time Coming
Wonder Woman is the first female-dominant superhero film to be released in twelve years. The last one was Electra in 2005.
40. Amazonian Gold
This is the first female-directed live-action film to have a budget of over $100 million. The film's estimated entire budget was $150 million.
39. Snide Appearance
Producer Zack Snyder made cameo in the movie as a First World War soldier.
38. Girl Power
Director Patty Jenkins is the first woman to direct a superhero movie with a female superhero as the lead role.
37. Surprise!
Gal Gadot did not know she was auditioning for the role of Wonder Woman at the start of casting. Zack Snyder invited her in for a camera test, and she read the lines she was given.
36. No Exec’s Scene
Director Patty Jenkins had to argue with some film executives to keep the “No Man’s Land” scene in the final version of the film. "It’s my favorite scene in the movie and it's the most important scene in the movie," Jenkins said in an interview. "It’s also the scene that made the least sense to other people going in, which is why it's a wonderful victory for me."
35. Italian Adventures
Filming for the scenes of Themyscira were shot in the south of Italy. Production designer Aline Bonetto said the location was ideal, "Italy had beautiful weather, a beautiful blue-green sea, not too much tide, not too much wave."
34. Train like an Amazonian
According to Connie Nielsen, who played Queen Hippolyta, the women playing Amazon roles in the movie worked out A LOT. She said that they would, "have 3,000 calories a day, and then do two hours of weightlifting, two hours of swordplay, and two hours of horseback riding." Gal Gadot trained for months in advance of filming to gain seventeen pounds of pure muscle for her role in the film.
33. Times are a Changin’
The setting was changed from that in the comic from World War II, to World War I for the movie, because it wasn’t seen as a simple good vs. evil story.
32. Don’t Stop Believing
Gadot considered giving up acting before getting the part or Wonder Woman.
31. Horsing Around
Director Patty Jenkins says that Gadot was the one on set who would laugh and break character the most while filming.
30. Feminist City
Every design decision made for the set of Themyscira came down to director Patty Jenkins and designer Lindy Hemming asking themselves, "How would women want to live that's badass?"
29. A Long Road to the Top
The movie had been in development since 1996, when Ivan Reitman originally was hired to write and direct it. The movie went through the hands of many writers and directors, including Joss Whedon, before coming into its final form.
28. Who doesn’t want to be Queen?
Nicole Kidman was reportedly offered the role of Queen Hippolyta but she turned it down.
27. Homage
The scenes in London are a tribute to the 1978 Superman movie. In both cases the protagonist get a disguise of glasses, stops a mugging attack and has some trouble with a revolving door.
26. New Record!
Wonder Woman marked the highest U.S. opening for a female director.
25. Stars Missing Out
Cate Blanchett was offered the chance to take on a role of some kind in the movie, but she turned it down.
24. First Time Lucky
This is the first film in Gal Gadot's acting career in which she received the staring role.
23. Military Setting for Military Scenes
The World War I scenes were shot at Upper Heyford air base in Bicester, England.
22. No Throwback Playlist
Director Patty Jenkins spent a lot of time trying to find a scene to put the Wonder Woman theme song from the 1970’s TV show into the film. Unfortunately, she couldn’t find anywhere it would fit.
21. Double Rejection
Angelina Jolie was offered the chance to play the lead role way back in 2005. In 2015, she was then considered as a possible director for the movie.
20. Hard Work Pays Off
Gal Gadot started working on her character six months before any filming for the movie began.
19. Rediscovering Talent
Wonder Woman is the first full length film Patty Jenkins has directed since 2003.
18. History!
The character of general Ludendorff was a real person. He was one of the top German generals during WWI and later supported Adolf Hitler’s failed coup to take power in 1923.
17. Thinking it over
Patty Jenkins admitted that she wasn’t sure if Gal Gadot would suit the role for Wonder Woman at first. Good thing she changed her mind on that one!
16. A Sign of Things to Come
The first two letters on the armored Wayne Enterprises van in the move are "JL," a possible nod to the Justice League.
15. Thank You!
The film's closing credits contain thanks to the comic writers of Wonder Woman and Lynda Carter, the first live-action Wonder Woman actress.
14. Big Screen, Big Money
Wonder Woman is the third biggest film for DC Comics in Imax theaters, grossing $18.3 million globally and $9 million domestically.
13. A change of Scenery
In the movie, Diana works at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. This is slightly different from the comics where she briefly worked at the Gateway Museum.
12. Triumphant Return
Director Patty Jenkins was originally in talks with Warner Bros. to direct the movie way back in 2005, but due to an unexpected pregnancy, she had to step down.
11. Fresh Tomatoes
Wonder Woman is the first DC Extended Universe movie with 90%+ Rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
10. Birthday Twins!
Emily Carey, who plays young Diana in the movie, shares the same birthday as Gal Gadot, April 30.
9. A Sign of Things to Come
The DC Films intro in this movie and will appear at the beginning of DC Extended Universe movies from now on. It features characters who have already made/will make their debut in future films.
8. She’ll be back
Gal Gadot will appear in a movie as Wonder Woman again this year. She will have a role in the Justice League movie, which is scheduled for release in November of this year.
7. Cinematic History
This film is the first live-action appearance of a young Diana; previous live-action versions only showed her as an adult.
6. Cha-Ching!
Warner Bros. has spent a total of over $3 million on creating advertisements for this film.
5. Superhero, Super Popular
Wonder Woman is the 16th superhero movie ever to have earn over $100 million.
4. Anime Star Power
For the Japanese dubbed version of the film, Wonder Woman is voiced by Kotono Mitsuishi, best known as the voice of Sailor Moon.
3. The only thing that may have made the movie better
Director Patty Jenkins is a big fan of the 1970’s show Wonder Woman and wanted Lynda Carter who played Diana on the show to do cameo for the film. Carter had scheduling conflicts and was unable to unfortunately.
2. Bound and Wonderful?
In the early comics, Wonder Woman was often tied up and whipped by men. The bondage-loving psychologist who created her believed that women “were actually superior to men, but that they could only realize it by giving into submission.”
Wonder woman creator, William Moulton Marston, included lots of bondage-style imagery in the original comics.
From the 1950s-1970s, Wonder Woman was gradually diminished until she was essentially a domestic and romantic heroine. But in 1972, feminist activist Gloria Steinem put Wonder Woman on the cover of Ms. Magazine. She became a mascot of the women's liberation movement and a cultural icon in her own right. And she certainly still is today.
1. Strong Mama
Gal Gadot did re-shoots for the movie (including stunts) while she was five months pregnant. Now that is a Wonder Woman!
For factaholics who are stoked about the upcoming Justice League film, check out Justice League in Numbers: