‘Wonder Woman’ Has Biggest Opening Ever With Female Director

Wonder Woman defied all expectations in its opening weekend, pulling in an estimated $100.5 million in domestic theaters—making it the biggest ever debut for a female director. The Warner Bros.’ DC Extended Universe film, directed by Patty Jenkins, easily dethroned the previous record holder, Fifty Shades of Grey, which brought in $85.2 million in 2015. “Any ridiculous notion that a woman may not be suited to direct a big budget superhero movie is hopefully once and for all shattered,” media analyst Paul Dergarabedian told CNN on Sunday. More than half of those who turned out to see the film this weekend were women, comprising 52 percent of the total audience. The film’s success comes after it faced some major controversy even before its release. The movie, starring Israeli actress Gal Gadot, was banned by government censors in Lebanon, who said it fell under a law prohibiting Israeli products. The film also spurred controversy in the U.S. after certain theaters decided to host women-only screenings.