In this June 8, 2017 file photo, director Patty Jenkins poses at the 45th AFI Life Achievement Award Tribute to Keaton at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Jenkins has officially signed on to direct the sequel to “Wonder Woman,” a Warner Bros. representative confirmed Monday.(Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) --
Patty Jenkins has officially signed on to direct the sequel to "Wonder Woman."
A Warner Bros. representative confirmed Jenkins' return on Monday after Variety first reported the news.
Jenkins was widely expected to return for the sequel after "Wonder Woman" became both a critical success and a global hit at the box office earning over $816 million worldwide this summer. Negotiations took months to finalize a deal for Jenkins' return.
The Hollywood Reporter writes that her deal, which is reported to be in the $7 to $9 million range, makes Jenkins the highest-paid female filmmaker in history. The studio declined comment on Jenkins' pay.
Star Gal Gadot will also reprise her role as the Amazonian warrior in the sequel, which is scheduled to hit theaters in Dec. 2019.
Television producer Mark Burnett, left, looks on as President Donald Trump arrives for the National Prayer Breakfast, Feb. 2, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
Mark Burnett, the power producer who helped reintroduce Donald Trump to a national television audience with "The Apprentice," is being tapped by the president-elect as special envoy to the United Kingdom in his upcoming administration.
"With a distinguished career in television production and business, Mark brings a unique blend of diplomatic acumen and international recognition to this important role," Trump announced Saturday.
Burnett, who was born in London, helped produce hits like "Survivor" and "The Voice," but is perhaps best known for teaming up with Trump for "The Apprentice," which first aired on NBC in 2004.
Trump had been well-known in real estate and pop culture circles for decades. But the show helped again make him a household name — though Trump severed ties with NBC in 2015, the same year he launched his first White House run.
The selection of Burnett continues Trump's trend of filling out his incoming administration with people who have high-profile backgrounds in television or politics, or both — including his choice to be defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, a former co-host of "Fox & Friends Weekend," and ex-television doctor and unsuccessful Senate candidate in Pennsylvania, Mehmet Oz.
Trump's first campaign in 2016 was rocked by allegations about his conduct on "The Apprentice" and other appearances during his association with NBC, notably in footage in which he said he could sexually assault women and get away with it because he was a "star."
Almost a decade after he left his reality TV role, Trump's television career remains central to his biography and political rise. The show presented Trump Tower to tens of millions of people as a symbol of power and success before Trump launched his first... Read More
