Wonder Woman 2 Will Be First to Adopt New Anti-Sexual Harassment Guidelines

Wonder Woman 2 will be the first film in Hollywood to adopt the Producers Guild of America’s recently unveiled Anti-Sexual Harassment Guidelines. Since Warner Bros. and DC Films’ shared superhero universe kicked off in earnest with Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, the franchise has been troubled by a largely negative narrative. From the poor critical reception of Batman V Superman and Suicide Squad to the controversial reshoots on Justice League, movie fans have picked apart many aspects of the superhero series. However, one bright spot arrived last year in the form of Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman, starring Gal Gadot as Diana Prince.

Warner Bros. announced a sequel to Wonder Woman at Comic-Con International in San Diego last summer, to little surprise, and gave the film a 2019 release date on the DC Films slate. Jenkins is returning to direct Wonder Woman 2 and the film is expected to start production this summer. Amid a DC film slate that has changed a great deal since it was first reported prior to Batman V Superman, Wonder Woman has remained a constant. Gadot’s superhero is arguably the most popular from the current DC franchise, despite the 2017 movie being the character’s first live-action feature film – and now Wonder Woman will be making history again.

Vanity Fair’s Rebecca Keegan reported the presidents of the Producers Guild of America announced during their annual awards ceremony this weekend that Wonder Woman 2 will be the first film to adopt their recently ratified Anti-Sexual Harassment Guidelines. As reported by Variety, the PGA’s board of directors voted unanimously to ratify the new guidelines, which were then issued to the organization’s 8,200 members. PGA presidents Gary Lucchesi and Lori McCreary said of the guidelines:

Sexual harassment can no longer be tolerated in our industry or within the ranks of the Producers Guild membership. We provide key leadership in creating and sustaining work environments built on mutual respect, so it is our obligation to change our culture and eradicate this abuse. While the PGA is a voluntary membership organization, the PGA’s Anti-Sexual Harassment Guidelines are sanctioned as best practices for our members.

The PGA began working on these guidelines after expelling producer Harvey Weinstein last fall in the wake of widely reported allegations of sexual misconduct. Among the PGA’s recommendations are anti-sexual harassment training prior to the start of production on a movie and each season of a TV show, as well as designating at least two individuals of different genders on set to which cast and crew can report sexual harassment. Further, the PGA urged producers to be aware of power dynamics on set and protect employees from potential retaliation in the wake of reported sexual harassment.

The Wonder Woman sequel being the first film to officially adopt these guidelines certainly makes sense considering the character’s position as a role model for girls and women everywhere (though that might not necessarily be why it will be the first to adopt the guidelines). Additionally, Jenkins’ Wonder Woman broke records for movies directed by women, solidifying it as a major step forward for gender representation in terms of Hollywood directors. Further, it was reported last year while Jenkins and Gadot were negotiating their deals for the sequel that the actress refused to sign on for Wonder Woman 2 unless Warner Bros. cut ties with Brett Ratner’s production company RatPac for the film. (Ratner was accused of sexual misconduct by a number of women, including X-Men: The Last Stand’s Ellen Page.)

While that report turned out to be incorrect – Jenkins and Gadot clarified that Warner Bros. parted ways with Ratner and RatPac before discussions began for Wonder Woman 2 – it still remains that Wonder Woman was a triumph for women in Hollywood and it receiving a sequel solidifies that success. Now, Wonder Woman 2 has the chance to set an example for the rest of Hollywood by officially adopting the PGA’s Anti-Sexual Harassment Guidelines. After all, Gadot has said Wonder Woman wouldn’t stand for sexual harassment, and it seems that will certainly be true in terms of the Wonder Woman 2 production.