"Wonder Woman" star Gal Gadot will not participate in the sequel for her iconic film if producer Bratt Ratner is still on board. Ratner's production company RatPac-Dune Entertainment co-produced the worldwide box-office hit superhero movie, following a co-financial deal with Warner Bros.
A source close to Gadot told Page Six that the 32-year-old actress is taking a strong stance against sexual misconduct, and that she does not want her film to benefit a man widely accused of sexual harassment.
Ratner's production company helped finance the film's $149 million budget, but it also reaped the benefits from the over $821 million international gross. "Gadot is saying she won't sign for the sequel unless Warner Bros. buys Brett out [of his financing deal] and gets rid of him," the source said.
The Hollywood source described Gadot as a "tough" girl who "stands by her principles." Gadot knows Warner Bros. will want to side with her in the long run. "Wonder Woman" is a film rooted on woman empowerment, and Gadot believes it should not be tainted by a man like Ratner.
The 48-year-old producer has been accused of sexual harassment by several women. Among them are Ellen Page and Olivia Munn, who both starred in the "X-Men" franchise, which was also co-produced by RatPac Dune Entertainment. Ratner has repeatedly denied these accusations.
This is not the first time the Israeli-born actress stood her ground against Ratner. In late October, Gadot backed out of an awards dinner that honored the filmmaker. Gadot was supposed to present the Tree of Life award to Ratner at an event for the Jewish National Fund.
The actress reportedly was not able to make it due to a "scheduling conflict" with her "Justice League" movie promotions in China. Although an earlier Instagram post indirectly said that her work in the Asian country was over days before the awards night.
Gadot has been vocal about her support for victims of sexual misconduct from the start, as can be seen in this Instagram post.
"We are all united in this time of change," she stated.
