Where are all the movies starring female superheroes?
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Adrianne Palicki (from left), Scarlett Johansson and Halle Berry have been unable to break down the door to superhero superstardom. Photo: Splash News; Francois Duhamel
Friday marks the release of “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” and with it is likely to come griping along the lines of, “What? Another movie starring a male superhero?” As Time magazine asked, “Where are all the (good) female superhero movies?”
It’s a fair point. And while we were given the WB network’s “Birds of Prey” in 2002, and some enlightened exec greenlit Pam Anderson’s awful “Barb Wire” in 1996, adaptations of comic books with female leads have been relatively rare.
So when are those superheroine movies going to start flooding the multiplex? Don’t hold your breath. It may be a couple years yet — if at all.
The easiest explanation for the lack of female-driven films is sexism. Maybe. But “The Hunger Games” and “Divergent,” which both feature a female superhero of sorts, still got made.
Blame the source material. Female superhero titles haven’t historically sold well in the comic-book world for many reasons, including the fact that readership is overwhelmingly male. In February of this year, not one superheroine title cracked the top 10.
“Spider-Man” and “Batman” are far more popular than any super-gal in the print world.
So even if some open-minded studio wanted to make a movie with a female lead, who would they choose?
“Wonder Woman” seems like an obvious choice. And Warner Bros., which controls the DC Comics properties, has been trying to get a film off the ground for years, even commissioning a 2011 TV pilot starring Adrianne Palicki. But NBC declined to pick it up.
But there may be a ray of hope in the form of Warner Bros.’ “Man of Steel” sequel, due in 2016. In addition to Henry Cavill as Superman, it will feature not only Ben Affleck as Batman but Israeli actress Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. And there’s sure to be at least talk about Gadot, a “Fast and Furious” veteran, moving on to a stand-alone adventure.
Meanwhile, Marvel Studios — makers of “Iron Man” and “The Avengers” — has a different problem. It’s firmly established its universe, have produced hit after hit and seems most well-positioned to produce a female-driven movie. But the studio only controls a portion of the Marvel Comics characters because the publisher sold off the rights to the X-Men, Spider-Man and other characters to rival studios back in the 1990s.
Marvel’s most high-profile female character is now Black Widow (Scarlett Johannson). Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige has said giving Widow her own film is a distinct possibility and that he has “various outlines and ideas” of where to take her story. Other than that, the roster of big-name ladies is thin. Remake “Elektra,” which bombed in 2005?
So why not just invent a new superhero? No chance. So much of what drives Hollywood in 2014 is what’s called “pre-awareness” — the idea that audiences are already familiar with characters or concepts, creating easy anticipation and saving the studio marketing dollars. (This is why we get crap like “The A-Team.”)
In the end, the next female-driven superhero franchise will likely arrive on the small screen. Last year, Marvel and Netflix teamed to produce five TV series, including “Jessica Jones,” about a retired super-hero-turned-private eye. Men and women alike should look for it in 2015.
It’s a fair point. And while we were given the WB network’s “Birds of Prey” in 2002, and some enlightened exec greenlit Pam Anderson’s awful “Barb Wire” in 1996, adaptations of comic books with female leads have been relatively rare.
So when are those superheroine movies going to start flooding the multiplex? Don’t hold your breath. It may be a couple years yet — if at all.
The easiest explanation for the lack of female-driven films is sexism. Maybe. But “The Hunger Games” and “Divergent,” which both feature a female superhero of sorts, still got made.
Blame the source material. Female superhero titles haven’t historically sold well in the comic-book world for many reasons, including the fact that readership is overwhelmingly male. In February of this year, not one superheroine title cracked the top 10.
“Spider-Man” and “Batman” are far more popular than any super-gal in the print world.
So even if some open-minded studio wanted to make a movie with a female lead, who would they choose?
“Wonder Woman” seems like an obvious choice. And Warner Bros., which controls the DC Comics properties, has been trying to get a film off the ground for years, even commissioning a 2011 TV pilot starring Adrianne Palicki. But NBC declined to pick it up.
But there may be a ray of hope in the form of Warner Bros.’ “Man of Steel” sequel, due in 2016. In addition to Henry Cavill as Superman, it will feature not only Ben Affleck as Batman but Israeli actress Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. And there’s sure to be at least talk about Gadot, a “Fast and Furious” veteran, moving on to a stand-alone adventure.
Meanwhile, Marvel Studios — makers of “Iron Man” and “The Avengers” — has a different problem. It’s firmly established its universe, have produced hit after hit and seems most well-positioned to produce a female-driven movie. But the studio only controls a portion of the Marvel Comics characters because the publisher sold off the rights to the X-Men, Spider-Man and other characters to rival studios back in the 1990s.
Marvel’s most high-profile female character is now Black Widow (Scarlett Johannson). Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige has said giving Widow her own film is a distinct possibility and that he has “various outlines and ideas” of where to take her story. Other than that, the roster of big-name ladies is thin. Remake “Elektra,” which bombed in 2005?
So why not just invent a new superhero? No chance. So much of what drives Hollywood in 2014 is what’s called “pre-awareness” — the idea that audiences are already familiar with characters or concepts, creating easy anticipation and saving the studio marketing dollars. (This is why we get crap like “The A-Team.”)
In the end, the next female-driven superhero franchise will likely arrive on the small screen. Last year, Marvel and Netflix teamed to produce five TV series, including “Jessica Jones,” about a retired super-hero-turned-private eye. Men and women alike should look for it in 2015.
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