'Wonder Woman 3' on the fast track, with modern day story set to complete trilogy

Watch: Trailer for Wonder Woman 1984

Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot are set to return to the DC Universe to complete the Wonder Woman trilogy.

Warner Bros has announced that Wonder Woman 3 has the official greenlight, with Deadline reporting that the project is on the fast track after solid box office numbers for sequel Wonder Woman 1984.

The superhero blockbuster was released in the UK earlier this month and debuted in the US simultaneously in cinemas and on the HBO Max streaming platform.

Read more: Gal Gadot says Wonder Woman 1984 was her hardest movie to make

Warner Bros chairman Toby Emmerich has now announced that the franchise will continue into a third instalment.

He said: “As fans around the world continue to embrace Diana Prince, driving the strong opening weekend performance of Wonder Woman 1984, we are excited to be able to continue her story with our real life Wonder Women – Gal and Patty – who will return to conclude the long-planned theatrical trilogy.”

Jenkins has long spoken of her plans to complete a trilogy of Wonder Woman films and, last year, she revealed her proposed third movie would take place in the modern day.

The previous two movies in the series have taken place during the First World War and the 1980s respectively, but the third is set to bring Diana Prince’s story up to date.

Read more: Jenkins almost quit Wonder Woman 1984 over pay

Jenkins told The Hollywood Reporter that she is “not doing another period piece” and will follow Diana in the present day.

She added: “I'm not planning to put it in the past again, because where are you going to go? You have to go forward. It's definitely a contemporary story.”

As well as the threequel, Jenkins has also sketched out the plot for a spin-off focusing on the Amazons, but she is keen to hand over the directorial reigns for that one.

Wonder Woman 1984 has achieved a decent $85m (£62.6m) worldwide since it was first released, posting an opening weekend of $16.7m (£12.3m) in the States, despite its simultaneous streaming debut.

The film hit HBO Max on Christmas Day and Warner Bros reports that almost half of the entire subscriber base watched the movie on its opening day.

Read more: Jenkins discusses Wonder Woman humour

This is significant given Warner Bros’ stated desire to release its entire 2021 slate on HBO Max at the same time as the movies land in cinemas, with the impact of coronavirus still set to be felt strongly for months to come.

The move has proven unpopular with filmmakers, with Tenet helmer Christopher Nolan and Dune director Denis Villeneuve among those to publicly criticise the studio’s plans.

Initial critical reactions were largely positive regarding Wonder Woman 1984, which pits Diana against Pedro Pascal’s sleazy businessman Maxwell Lord and Kristen Wiig as Cheetah.

The movie currently has a 62% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with elements of the story and script proving controversial online.

Read more: Jenkins delivers warning about future of cinemas

Some were unconvinced by the way in which Chris Pine was able to return as love interest Steve Trevor — despite his death in the first movie — while the film’s depiction of the Middle East also came in for criticism.

Wonder Woman 1984 is in UK cinemas now, with its VOD debut set for 13 January.

Watch: Kristen Wiig was paranoid about Wonder Woman secrets