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“WONDER GIRL”
COMIC/TV SERIES PROPOSAL
BY TOM BANCROFT
NOTE: This series is aimed at the part of the audience that knows Wonder Woman as an icon but nothing more. Primarily everyone out there that doesn’t buy her comics or care anything about her continuity. More specifically, the ‘tween’ market.
Growing up the only teenager on a remote island full of women can be tough. It’s even rougher when your mom is the Queen. Such is the life of Diana, Princess of the Amazons. She is the last-born Amazon on Paradise Island. An island centuries old and where time moves slower than the rest of the world. For longer than Diana can remember, the Amazons have been training for a war that they believe will come one day. Though younger than the other women, Diana excels at all aspects of Amazon war training. Diana is successful and well liked, but bored. The only thing that excites her are stories of what lies beyond the island. Stories told to her by her by the crazy, old hermit lady who lives by herself on the other side of the island. She was excelled years ago for leaving the island and her deeply hidden secret love affair while off the island. The Queen doesn’t like “Man’s world”. She has seen their war ships go past the island throughout the centuries on one mission of senseless death or another. She tells Diana, once again, that the Amazons only use their power and might if provoked, never to show our dominance over someone else. The Amazons fight with words of peace first, she reaffirms. One evening Diana and her mother argue, once again, about her leaving the island to see what lies beyond their shores. Her mother retorts, “Diana, I have told you, the ways of Man’s world are different from ours- here, we are safe and the purity of this island keeps us young! Don’t you realize that as soon as you step foot on their land you will begin to age as they do! Diana replies, “But I don’t want to eternally be the youngest Amazon! Mother, I am different from everyone here! There is a world out there with people like me --people that don’t live and breath a war that will never come! She storms off. Back in her room, she starts packing her bags. She’s decided to leave the island. As she turns to leave, she comes face-to-face with her mother. “Diana,” the Queen says, “you have always been headstrong and impatient. But I was once young and I know where your passion comes from. Though I do not completely agree with you, I will allow you to go. I don’t fear for you physically because you are a fully trained Amazonian going to a world of weakness- but you are vulnerable emotionally. Man’s ways are dishonesty and selfishness; you know nothing of these things. I see value in you obtaining the remainder of your training in “The Ways of the World”. We’ll call this a “Schooling Abroad Program”, hmmm? Diana is thrilled and they hug. The Queen continues, “Because you will age much quicker you will leave here a wonderful girl but I want you to return when you are a wonderful woman! Still, I am your mother and I will not send you out on this ‘training mission’ without giving you some “gifts” to help you in your quest. First, a locket that has a magical mirror inside that is a window to Paradise Island so you can speak to your mother whenever you need to (an Amazonian cell phone), second, a lasso that has the power to, once in contact with someone, make them tell the truth (and because it is controlled by Diana’s thoughts, it can take on many humorous snakelike attributes-becoming a character in it’s own right), and, thirdly, a “transport” for you to travel to Man’s World and safely return. It is invisible to all but you Diana. It can also adapt to any shape so that you can store it wherever you need (not to mention become a skateboard, scooter, or personal jet).
She leaves the next morning with much fanfare and well wishes from her Amazon ‘sisters’. Her mom has packed her something that she believes will make her immediately welcomed into Man’s society. After all those years of seeing ships sail by she knows that the American flag is important to Men. The Queen made her an outfit using the flag for her to wear when she arrives. Diana lands in the heart of NY and is immediately thrust into conflict (a bank robbery, rape attempt, gang shooting, etc.). She conquers the foes and is surrounded by well-wishers and reporters wanting to take advantage of her naiveté. One of the young high school-aged girls that Diana saved, a streetwise urban girl named Tyla, helps get her away from the crowds. Once away from the chaos, Tyla tells Diana that she’s never seen anything like her, “You’re a wonder, girl! She also tells her that she needs a secret identity so she doesn’t get mobbed like that all the time. How ya gonna go to the mall and hang? Diana says her full name is Diana, Princess of the Amazons. That’s all Tyla needs to hear, you’ll be “Diana Prince” for short. That’s your new name, Wonder Girl. Tyla also discovers that Diana doesn’t have a place to stay. “No crib? I bet I can take care of that too.” she says. Tyla takes her home and convinces her parents that Diana is a foreign exchange student (partially true as the Queen stated before she left) whose other “Host Family” left the country unexpectantly leaving her high and dry. The parents agree to take her in for a couple days until her “paperwork gets worked out and they find the proper family”. (This could be a running joke on how she is constantly stretching her stay there indefinitely.) Someday the parents find out her secret identity and embrace her into the family. This begins the series set up of Diana rooming with her best friend and going to high school with her. There are conflicts and things to learn on a personal level in high school and at ‘home’ for Diana. In addition, there are citywide threats like thieves, supervillians, alien invasions, etc. All these situations to juggle plus a term paper by Friday? What’s a Wonder Girl to do?
THE BEGINNING
COMIC/TV SERIES PROPOSAL
BY TOM BANCROFT
NOTE: This series is aimed at the part of the audience that knows Wonder Woman as an icon but nothing more. Primarily everyone out there that doesn’t buy her comics or care anything about her continuity. More specifically, the ‘tween’ market.
Growing up the only teenager on a remote island full of women can be tough. It’s even rougher when your mom is the Queen. Such is the life of Diana, Princess of the Amazons. She is the last-born Amazon on Paradise Island. An island centuries old and where time moves slower than the rest of the world. For longer than Diana can remember, the Amazons have been training for a war that they believe will come one day. Though younger than the other women, Diana excels at all aspects of Amazon war training. Diana is successful and well liked, but bored. The only thing that excites her are stories of what lies beyond the island. Stories told to her by her by the crazy, old hermit lady who lives by herself on the other side of the island. She was excelled years ago for leaving the island and her deeply hidden secret love affair while off the island. The Queen doesn’t like “Man’s world”. She has seen their war ships go past the island throughout the centuries on one mission of senseless death or another. She tells Diana, once again, that the Amazons only use their power and might if provoked, never to show our dominance over someone else. The Amazons fight with words of peace first, she reaffirms. One evening Diana and her mother argue, once again, about her leaving the island to see what lies beyond their shores. Her mother retorts, “Diana, I have told you, the ways of Man’s world are different from ours- here, we are safe and the purity of this island keeps us young! Don’t you realize that as soon as you step foot on their land you will begin to age as they do! Diana replies, “But I don’t want to eternally be the youngest Amazon! Mother, I am different from everyone here! There is a world out there with people like me --people that don’t live and breath a war that will never come! She storms off. Back in her room, she starts packing her bags. She’s decided to leave the island. As she turns to leave, she comes face-to-face with her mother. “Diana,” the Queen says, “you have always been headstrong and impatient. But I was once young and I know where your passion comes from. Though I do not completely agree with you, I will allow you to go. I don’t fear for you physically because you are a fully trained Amazonian going to a world of weakness- but you are vulnerable emotionally. Man’s ways are dishonesty and selfishness; you know nothing of these things. I see value in you obtaining the remainder of your training in “The Ways of the World”. We’ll call this a “Schooling Abroad Program”, hmmm? Diana is thrilled and they hug. The Queen continues, “Because you will age much quicker you will leave here a wonderful girl but I want you to return when you are a wonderful woman! Still, I am your mother and I will not send you out on this ‘training mission’ without giving you some “gifts” to help you in your quest. First, a locket that has a magical mirror inside that is a window to Paradise Island so you can speak to your mother whenever you need to (an Amazonian cell phone), second, a lasso that has the power to, once in contact with someone, make them tell the truth (and because it is controlled by Diana’s thoughts, it can take on many humorous snakelike attributes-becoming a character in it’s own right), and, thirdly, a “transport” for you to travel to Man’s World and safely return. It is invisible to all but you Diana. It can also adapt to any shape so that you can store it wherever you need (not to mention become a skateboard, scooter, or personal jet).
She leaves the next morning with much fanfare and well wishes from her Amazon ‘sisters’. Her mom has packed her something that she believes will make her immediately welcomed into Man’s society. After all those years of seeing ships sail by she knows that the American flag is important to Men. The Queen made her an outfit using the flag for her to wear when she arrives. Diana lands in the heart of NY and is immediately thrust into conflict (a bank robbery, rape attempt, gang shooting, etc.). She conquers the foes and is surrounded by well-wishers and reporters wanting to take advantage of her naiveté. One of the young high school-aged girls that Diana saved, a streetwise urban girl named Tyla, helps get her away from the crowds. Once away from the chaos, Tyla tells Diana that she’s never seen anything like her, “You’re a wonder, girl! She also tells her that she needs a secret identity so she doesn’t get mobbed like that all the time. How ya gonna go to the mall and hang? Diana says her full name is Diana, Princess of the Amazons. That’s all Tyla needs to hear, you’ll be “Diana Prince” for short. That’s your new name, Wonder Girl. Tyla also discovers that Diana doesn’t have a place to stay. “No crib? I bet I can take care of that too.” she says. Tyla takes her home and convinces her parents that Diana is a foreign exchange student (partially true as the Queen stated before she left) whose other “Host Family” left the country unexpectantly leaving her high and dry. The parents agree to take her in for a couple days until her “paperwork gets worked out and they find the proper family”. (This could be a running joke on how she is constantly stretching her stay there indefinitely.) Someday the parents find out her secret identity and embrace her into the family. This begins the series set up of Diana rooming with her best friend and going to high school with her. There are conflicts and things to learn on a personal level in high school and at ‘home’ for Diana. In addition, there are citywide threats like thieves, supervillians, alien invasions, etc. All these situations to juggle plus a term paper by Friday? What’s a Wonder Girl to do?
THE BEGINNING
I like to write. I've discovered this later in life. I started with writing my Opposite Forces comic series and moved into writing my two character design books- they were all fun challenges. I have written a few pitch bibles for animation series that I've come up with through the years and most, I would not show for copyright reasons. Until I came up for one for a character I don't own: Wonder Woman. Or in this case, TEEN Wonder Woman- which I call Wonder Girl in this pitch. (I know there already IS a Wonder Girl and that she is NOT Wonder Woman but some relative- right?- to her but this is a series loosely based on the WW mythology). At any rate, I have shown this to some at DC (or one, at least) and they "don't want to do anything with WW until they figure out her movie", etc. SO, this thing isn't going anywhere and I can't do anything with it on my own, so I wanted you all to see it. Let me know what you think.
© 2013 - 2024 tombancroft
Comments17
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Wonder Woman's great strength is also her great weakness when it comes to a movie, I think -- that being, that she doesn't fit into a "genre" box easily. She's a feministic crusader from an island of "I don't need no men" feminists, yet who has a very sexy body and historically seems to work best when she sports a skimpy outfit that male viewers appreciate (which most radical feminists find offensive except that she serves as a spokeswoman for them so they can't hate her too much)...
...She has super-strength and other powers that rival Superman's, is near omnipotent, but is responsible enough about it that she [although trained as a warrior] doesn't do around beating the crap out of those weaker than herself just to prove she can; she won't bake cookies but does believe in using power responsibly; she is a peace ambassador from a warrior race; she comes from a world that bans men, but is willing to serve as a team player on the Justice League. In short --
-- she is a many-sided woman of many contrasts and conflicts, and it is not clearly defined what "the essence of" the individual lady who is this particular hero is, in my opinion, beyond being "a really, really strong and independent woman who stands up for females." We get that part. But you need more than that to hang a movie plot on.
-- Thus, WW fits partway into a number of various agendas, but not all the way, so it is impossible for Hollywood to make a movie featuring her until they decide which of her "sides" best defines who she is. The problem is that, whichever way they chose to go, they are going to anger some of her fans, perhaps many of them, so it is a lose-lose proposition trying to please everybody with this character. They will not succeed until they decide to define who she is with clarity, and are prepared to take the heat that follows, long-term ... but that can be a risky venture, given the enormous costs of making a movie. If they don't resonate with the public enough, they bomb.
That is part of the reason that various attempts have been started, but none have come to fruition, as far as I can tell.
I liked Lynda Carter's oldtime version ... not only the sexy costume stuff, but Lynda's "I'm strong enough to force you to comply, but care enough about civility to try to talk you into complying first without having to beat the crap out of you in the process unless it is the only way out" approach. If we could go that way, perhaps without the "camp" of the old show but in a serious vein, I would be happy ... but it still might bomb as a movie. WW is a risk.
Whichever way they decide to go, it would be great to see Wonder Woman hit the big screen. But I am not surprised the 'Suits' are still nervous about the character ... and thus cautious. At least you pitched your view of the "prequel character" to them. Who knows -- "it's not over until it's over," as Yogi Berra used to say.
...She has super-strength and other powers that rival Superman's, is near omnipotent, but is responsible enough about it that she [although trained as a warrior] doesn't do around beating the crap out of those weaker than herself just to prove she can; she won't bake cookies but does believe in using power responsibly; she is a peace ambassador from a warrior race; she comes from a world that bans men, but is willing to serve as a team player on the Justice League. In short --
-- she is a many-sided woman of many contrasts and conflicts, and it is not clearly defined what "the essence of" the individual lady who is this particular hero is, in my opinion, beyond being "a really, really strong and independent woman who stands up for females." We get that part. But you need more than that to hang a movie plot on.
-- Thus, WW fits partway into a number of various agendas, but not all the way, so it is impossible for Hollywood to make a movie featuring her until they decide which of her "sides" best defines who she is. The problem is that, whichever way they chose to go, they are going to anger some of her fans, perhaps many of them, so it is a lose-lose proposition trying to please everybody with this character. They will not succeed until they decide to define who she is with clarity, and are prepared to take the heat that follows, long-term ... but that can be a risky venture, given the enormous costs of making a movie. If they don't resonate with the public enough, they bomb.
That is part of the reason that various attempts have been started, but none have come to fruition, as far as I can tell.
I liked Lynda Carter's oldtime version ... not only the sexy costume stuff, but Lynda's "I'm strong enough to force you to comply, but care enough about civility to try to talk you into complying first without having to beat the crap out of you in the process unless it is the only way out" approach. If we could go that way, perhaps without the "camp" of the old show but in a serious vein, I would be happy ... but it still might bomb as a movie. WW is a risk.
Whichever way they decide to go, it would be great to see Wonder Woman hit the big screen. But I am not surprised the 'Suits' are still nervous about the character ... and thus cautious. At least you pitched your view of the "prequel character" to them. Who knows -- "it's not over until it's over," as Yogi Berra used to say.