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Whoever takes on the role will need both: A) the right look for the part, and B) decent acting chops. Not that decent acting chops in the lead role with necessarily save the movie from the ineptness of movie writers, or the interference of movie producers, but.... Well, let's all dare to dream that the makers of "Wonder Woman" get the same kind of freedom that was given to the makers of "Batman Begins".
So: looks, and chops. With those two requirements in mind, here's the short list (in order):
1. Catherine Zeta-Jones. Not only does she have the perfect look for the role, but she has solid acting chops, too, having done everything from serious drama ("Traffic") to light action ("Zorro"). Hell, she even made the heist movie hell of "Entrapment" bearable -- at least, while she was on screen (sorry, Sean Connery fans). She's also a household name, which means that any WW movie with her name on it will automatically be a HUGE draw, thus widening the appeal of WW, and maybe of comics generally -- both good things. Being a seriously A-list celebrity, she'll also come with a higher price tag, and getting her to agree to do the requisite movie-and-two-sequels-comic-book-movie deal might be tricky ... but then, she has just done "Zorro II", so we know that she ain't exact shy about the sequel thing. Hell, if Halle Berry can go straight from and Oscar to "Catwoman", there's always hope. Right? CJZ is the #1 pick.
2. Catherine Bell. I'll be honest and admit that I probably wouldn't have though of Miz Bell except that I saw her name posted elsewhere in this thread (sorry, can't remember who suggested her, and I'm waaaaaay too lazy to actually look), but once I saw her name and Wonder Woman in the same context, it made total sense: great look, and decent chops. I still think CZJ beats her on both counts, but it's very close. Thanks to JAG, she also comes with a built-in fan base; and though she's not quite the A-list household name that CZJ is, she also wouldn't be as expensive, and easier to talk into that 3-movie deal. Plus, she's already done MAXIM, so we know she shouldn't shy about spending the better part of two hours bouncing around the big screen in a swimsuit (yes, a one-piece swimsuit, but a swimsuit none the less).
3. Dina Meyer. Yes, that Dina Meyer. I've had a wee crush on Dina for some time now -- not just because she'd Oh-My-Freaking-God gorgeous, but also because of the type of role she seems to play: smart, confident, competent, and brave. And beautiful, too. So, basically, she's already type-cast as WW -- just add the super powers, and the suit. Plus, no matter how awful the project she seems to end up in, Dina never "phones it in" -- it's 101%, all the time, every time. What's the catch, you ask? Well... now that you ask, she has been in some pretty stinky movies, like "Bats", or "Johnny Mnemonic", or (wince) "Starship Troopers", but her biggest albatross is probably going to be "Birds of Prey, the TV Series". There were many things wrong with BoP (starting with the fact that they didn't bother to include any of the actual Birds of Prey -- where was Black Canary?), none of which were Dina's fault, but being part of that sort of failure can sink you in show business, especially since most of her other work was also in projects that ... how shall we say this ... "under-performed". The only thing I've seen her in recently was a guest spot on CSI -- not a good sign. Still, she'd be my dark horse pick.
4. The also-rans. Failing any of the above three, you start into the list of actresses who may have the look, but who's acting chops are suspect. In no particular order:
a) Shannon Elizabeth. Gorgeous, but vapid -- she has a great smile, and she screams well, but possibly better suited to Scream Queen than Wonder Woman. Who knows, though? Maybe she just hasn't been offered the right role to bring out the greatness that secretly lies inside. She might make a decent Donna Troy, though, assuming Wonder Woman the Movie does well enough to merit a sequel.
b) Denise Richards. Also gorgeous, and possibly more vapid that Shannon is. She got to work opposite Dina Meyer in Starship Troopers, and I spent most of the movie wondering how anyone could possibly obsess about someone as superficial and stiff as Richard's Inez, when Meyer's Dizzy had so much more spunk, not to mention a fantastic set of 'em. Ditto for Wild Things, also she got naked when Neve Campbell wouldn't -- and finally showed us that her pair was pretty damn fantastic, too. There are worse choices, though, like:
c) Julie Strain. Probably as close to WW's comic book physique as you're likely to find in real life, but can she act? Does anybody care? I don't think any studio will go for a B-Queen soft-core porn star for the role, but it sure would be interesting.
d) Lucy Lawless. Yes, she's already played an amazon. No, it doesn't matter. She's good-looking, and certainly tall enough, but she's so stiff onscreen! Apparently, she studies at the same school of acting that produced David Caruso: just narrow your eyes, and speak in a low, intense voice, and call it whatever emotion you want: Anger, Fear, Compassion, or even Righteous ass-kicking rage. Who needs an emotional range?
OK, maybe there is some sort of order here; (e) is Linda O'Neil (can she act? do you care?), (f) is Chyna, and from there things just get silly. Rather than cast any of these also-rans, though, I'd follow Lynda Carter's advise on the subject, and:
5. Cast an unknown. Very risky, and thus unlikely (given the amount of money that WW will cost to make, and her importance as one of Time-Warner owned DC's flagship characters), but it gives you the chance to cast someone who might just be perfect for the part, but that nobody's heard about.
Anyway, there's my vote. How's that for my first post anywhere?
-- V.
Posted on: 1 08 05 08:25 am
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Ah, well, it's not like I have to work today, so my brain cells can have the day off, too.
and Rosario is so sweet... but too small... petite litle Rosario... 
This morning, I found the first 3 postings of this thread pawing through my refridgerator; looking for something to eat. I's looking kinda thin...hurt...so, I gave it some left over BBQ ribs...and it also drank almost a whole gallon of vitaman D milk.
