In the wake of sexual harassment allegations against Brett Ratner, Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot is rumored to be refusing involvement in a sequel unless Warner Bros. severs ties with Ratner completely.
The rumor comes from gossip outlet Page Six, citing a Hollywood source that says Gadot doesn’t want to be involved with the Wonder Woman franchise if a known harasser is attached.
The move undoubtedly puts Warner Bros. between a rock and a hard place, considering Ratner’s RatPac-Dune Entertainment has a deal with the studio that’s set to expire in 2018, but is already attached to various projects.
Though Warner Bros. has already announced they don’t plan to renew the contract and are severing ties with Ratner, and Ratner himself has said he’s stepping away from all Warner Bros. -related projects to distance his name, Gadot wants Ratner’s ties to Wonder Woman II to be completely severed or else she won’t be involved.
It would say a lot for a movie about women empowerment, directed by a woman, starring a woman, to make a lot of money for a man alleged to harass women.
“Brett made a lot of money from the success of ‘Wonder Woman,’ thanks to his company having helped finance the first movie,” according to a WB insider, as reported by Page Six. “Now Gadot is saying she won’t sign for the sequel unless Warner Bros. buys Brett out [of his financing deal] and gets rid of him.”
It’s an interesting situation for Warner Bros., who might have to cough up more money than they want to in order to secure their star. Though they aren’t planning to renew their deal with RatPac, buying Ratner out completely before the contract expires would be giving more money to the alleged harasser. Whether he accepts it, or how much he’d ask for, and how much Wonder Woman II is expected to make, would all play into the potential negotiations.
Either way, Gadot is said to be taking a principled stance and she knows she has the clout to make this kind of demand from Warner Bros. Whether it actually goes through remains to be seen.
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