Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman smashed box office records for female-directed movies, raking in $100.5 million domestically during its opening weekend. But lead actress Gal Gadot only took home $300,000 for her turn as the superhero.
Equal pay for women is a huge problem in Hollywood and the United States on the whole. But before we get the pitchforks out, let's remember that Gadot was a largely unknown actress (at least to the general public) before Wonder Woman. Glamour points out that Chris Evans earned roughly $300,000 for the first Captain America film, so this isn't necessarily a case of Hollywood sexism. (Plus, Jenkins is shattering records as a female director.)
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But $300,000 doesn't seem like a lot when you consider the fact that Gadot was also reshooting action scenes while she was five months pregnant.
The Daily Dot explains that Gadot signed a three-movie deal where she'd be paid $300,000 each for Batman v. Superman, Wonder Woman, and November's Justice League. And while her pay does seem comparable to other blockbuster newcomers', the outlet also points out that Henry Cavill reportedly made $14 million for Man of Steel.
If there is eventually a Wonder Woman 2 — and with the film's box office success and positive reviews, why wouldn't there be? — hopefully Gadot will be paid more for her work.
This summer, we're celebrating the biggest movie season of the year with a series calledBlockbust-HER. We'll be looking at everything film-related from the female perspective, interviewing major players in the industry and discussing where Hollywood is doing right by women and where (all too often) it is failing them. And now...let's go to the movies!
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