Wonder Woman 1984 Star Shares Why She Thinks the Movie Disappointed Fans and Critics

One of the most anticipated films of 2020 was Wonder Woman 1984, which faced a number of release date delays due to the coronavirus pandemic before ultimately debuting in theaters and on HBO Max on December 25th, with star Connie Nielsen noting that those delays were part of the reason some audiences failed to connect with the narrative as strongly as 2017’s Wonder Woman. Nielsen also noted that, due to the nature of sequels, it will automatically be compared to what came before it, with both fans and critics choosing to focus on how they felt the film fell short as opposed to consuming it from an overall standpoint.

“I think that what happens psychologically is that a lot of movies like that then get into this insecure territory where they’re up for a judgment that would not normally have happened,” Nielsen shared with Den of Geek. “The fact that it was moved so many times, put it under scrutiny that it did not deserve. It also, as a sophomore film, will always be compared to the one before… A lot of people were so willing to just critique certain elements instead of seeing it as a whole. And I think that as a whole, everything that happens in this film makes a lot of sense. It makes a lot of sense, and I think it’s a beautiful film.”

According to Rotten Tomatoes, the film has 59% positive reviews from more than 400 critics, while 74% of audiences on the site enjoyed the experience. By comparison, the Amazonian’s debut solo film in 2017 sits at 93% positive critical reviews and 83% positive reviews from audiences.

Unfortunately, it was likely due to the popularity of the debut film that Warner Bros. ended up putting so much pressure on the release of the sequel in hopes of reviving their box office returns. The film was initially expected to debut in theaters in December of 2019, only to have its release pushed to June 2020, with the studio then offering a number of incremental release delays before ultimately opening both in theaters and on HBO Max on the same day.

“I think that [director] Patty [Jenkins] has this extraordinary vision,” Nielsen noted. “And it must have been incredibly painful to not be able to have a normal release and to have your release shuffled over and over, feeling this enormous weight on your shoulders for a pretty big blockbuster film, that you’re supposed to be bringing the bacon back to the company, and you can’t because you can’t open the film.”

Stay tuned for details on the future of the Wonder Woman series.

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