Gal Gadot reportedly conditions ‘Wonder Woman’ return on ouster of Brett Ratner

JTA
Published November 12, 2017

(JTA) — Israeli actress Gal Gadot has reportedly refused to star in a sequel for the blockbuster “Wonder Woman” unless producer Bret Ratner is ousted from the project.

Gadot is opposed to Ratner benefiting from her work because he has been accused of sexual misconduct, the Page Six gossip website reported Saturday. Ratner’s production company RatPac-Dune Entertainment helped produce “Wonder Woman” as part of a co-financing deal with Warner Bros.

“She’s tough and stands by her principles. She also knows the best way to hit people like Brett Ratner is in the wallet. She also knows that Warner Bros. has to side with her on this issue as it develops,” a Warner Bros. source told Page Six. “They can’t have a movie rooted in women’s empowerment being part-financed by a man ­accused of sexual misconduct against women.”

Earlier this month, it was reported that Warner Bros. will not renew its expired production deal with Ratner, whom six women recently accused of sexual harassment and misconduct. The fate of his company’s $350-million co-financing agreement with Warner Bros. beyond its end in March 2018 is unclear.

Ratner said earlier he was personally stepping away from Warner Bros. related activity. Ratner, who has been accused of sexual harassment by six women in recent days, helped finance the summer blockbuster, and took home a sizable stake of the $412million box office gross.

“Wonder Woman” grossed more than $400 million internationally, and Gat and director Patty Jenkins signed on make the sequel.

Last month ,Gadot backed out of a Jewish National Fund dinner in Hollywood. The co-chair of the dinner, she was scheduled to present the Tree of Life Award to Ratner but said she had a scheduling conflict.

Gadot has repeatedly spoken out against sexual misconduct as millions of women and men in the United States, Israel and around the world have unleashed a flood of allegations of such behavior. The floodgates were opened with reports about alleged sexual assault and harassment of women by Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein.

“I think that we are in the midst of a very interesting, important trend of people speaking out,” Gadot told told Hadashot news in an interview aired Thursday. “I only hope that it is not just going to be a trend but it is going to be a profound change.”