Patty Jenkins on the Shortlist for TIME’s Person of the Year

This year, Warner Bros.’ Wonder Woman became a bonafide female-driven box office success story, besting its bigger brother Justice League critically and financially and turning star Gal Gadot into a feminist icon. Now TIME magazine is highlighting the film’s director Patty Jenkins with a spot on the shortlist for their (sometimes) prestigious Person of the Year honors, which since 1927 has been singling out a person or group who most influenced the news cycle over a given year (for better or worse).

Here is the magazine’s justification for inclusion in the shortlist: “The ‘Wonder Woman’ director broke numerous box-office records this year. After becoming the first woman to direct a film that made more than $100 million in its opening weekend, she signed on to direct a highly anticipated second installment in the boundary-breaking franchise.”

Jenkins is currently hard at work on 2019’s sequel Wonder Woman 2, and recently spoke about continuing Diana’s story.

“It’s a similar formula insofar as making a great, enjoyable fun movie but that ultimately in its third act turns some very big issues, and a very big experience that will aim to have slightly more weight and profundity than it has to have,” Jenkins said. “It’s got great fun from the start and great big superhero presence from the start, and is funny and a great love story again and a couple new unbelievable characters who I’m so excited about, who are very different than were in the last movie.”

Wonder Woman 2‘s release date was recently moved from December 13, 2019 to November 1, 2019 following the delay of Star Wars: Episode IX from its May 2019 release slot to December 20, 2019 when J.J. Abrams took over the film.

Director Patty Jenkins is returning behind the camera for Wonder Woman 2, and is currently co-writing the script with Dave Callaham (The Expendables, Godzilla) and DC Films co-chairman Geoff Johns. The producing credits on the film are still in flux after Zack and Deborah Snyder left DC Films during production on Justice League, and Warner Bros.’ deal with financier RatPac Entertainment is ending soon after the fallout from the Brett Ratner scandal.

(Photo Credit: Getty Images)