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DC FanDome: Gal Gadot had to match Usain Bolt's running speed for Wonder Woman 1984
The movie may be called Woman 1984, but Gal Gadot was required to achieve Flash-like running speeds for the upcoming sequel. While answering fan questions at DC FanDome Day 2, Gadot (who plays Diana Prince) shed some light on Wonder Woman's sprint down Pennsylvania Avenue that we've all seen in the trailers. In fact, this project, directed and co-written by the returning Patty Jenkins, may actually be the first superhero film to qualify for an Olympic gold medal in track.
"This movie was very physically demanding. Patty really wanted to shoot as much action sequences in a practical way as much as possible," Gadot said. "We had to do a lot. I did a lot of it myself, [and] I also had an amazing stuntwoman working with me ... We shut down Penn Avenue in Washington, D.C., and I had to run super fast ... and we've matched the speed of my running to Usain Bolt. I had to run in like 24 kilometers per hour, and it was insane. Obviously, I didn't do it by myself, I was assisted by wires, but it was crazy to do it, and to do it [on location] was amazing."
For context, Usain Bolt (a native of Jamaica) is the fastest man on the planet. He's won eight Olympic gold medals and holds several world records for sprinting. The dude is as close to Barry Allen as humans can possibly get. Earlier today, Jenkins and some cast members discussed the Olympic-level regimen that turned Gadot and her cast mates into Amazon warriors.
Pedro Pascal, who portrays the greedy and corrupt businessman Maxwell Lord, also touched on WW84's commitment to practical set pieces and effects.
"I never really found myself having to do things with a green screen," The Mandalorian actor said. "There were such specific locations and practical effects that create such a visual experience that they captured in film. It was bizarre and amazing to physically be at the center of it. I'm talking flashing lights and wind machines and things moving, I don't want to say what. I don't want to give anything away, but it was almost like a nostalgic experience, in that there was so much you didn't have to leave to your imagination because they created it for you to interact with while filming."
As of yesterday, Wonder Woman 1984 is now scheduled to arrive in theaters Christmas Day: Friday, Dec. 25. Jenkins co-wrote the screenplay with Geoff Johns and David Callaham.
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