Patty Jenkins became one of the first women in the industry to direct at the highest blockbuster level when she directed Wonder Woman, but following the movie's surprise smash hit success, she's making enough to direct the sequel to make her salary for the first movie seem like a simple dress rehearsal. As originally reported by Variety, she negotiated a massive pay raise to do the as-yet-untitled Wonder Woman follow-up, securing a $9 million payday.
Jenkins reportedly made just $1 million to do Wonder Woman, but her $9 million paycheck to helm the sequel will make her the single highest-paid woman ever to sit in the director's chair. The Hollywood Reporter says the salary didn't come easy, and Warner Bros required a lengthy negotiating process in order to agree to Jenkins' terms, despite the fact that Wonder Woman made serious box office bank when it came out last year. Thanks to her only signing a one-picture deal before the first movie, she was in a prime negotiating position when it came time to secure her directorial talents for the sequel.
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Jenkins' record-breaking paycheck is an apt response to Wonder Woman's own record-breaking box office performance. The film's worldwide gross of more than $800 million made it the highest grossing film ever directed by a woman, and it also made the film more successful than plain old guy-directed DC Universe films like Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad.
Of course, in addition to her $9 million fee, Jenkins is reportedly getting "a considerable backend" tied to the film's box office performance, which will likely mean serious money for her if the sequel performs as well as the first movie. That performance won't be known for sure until the movie actually comes out, and it's currently slated for a Christmastime release, December 13th, 2019.
