'Wonder Woman 2' Will Be The 1st Movie To Use New Sexual Harassment Guidelines & It's The Perfect Choice

We're all well aware that Wonder Woman is a total badass. She's strong, powerful, emotional, sincere, and inspiring. The 2017 movie, directed by Patty Jenkins and starring Gal Gadot, embraced all of those qualities and resulted in a well-received film that left grown women crying tears of joy in the theater. It's no wonder, then, that one of the films many fans are most excited about for in 2019 is Wonder Woman 2, for which Jenkins and Gadot are returning. But if the news of a sequel wasn't already thrilling enough, the Producer's Guild of America recently announced that Wonder Woman 2 will be the first film to implement the PGA's new Anti-Sexual Harassment Guidelines, fitting perfectly with the character's inspiring message.

As Variety originally reported, the PGA, after expelling Harvey Weinstein after the allegations against him were revealed, began working on new sexual harassment guidelines back in October. The rules include the requirement that all productions comply with federal and state laws regarding harassment, that film sets "provide in-person anti-sexual harassment training for all members of the cast and crew prior to the start of production and prior to every season of an ongoing production," and that each film or television show have at least two people, preferably one of each gender, to whom cast or crew can report should they witness or experience harassment.

“Sexual harassment can no longer be tolerated in our industry or within the ranks of the Producers Guild membership,” said PGA presidents Gary Lucchesi and Lori McCreary, as reported by Variety. “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."

Hopefully, with more enforced rules and a growing sentiment that abuse will no longer be tolerated, serious change will be made behind-the-scenes. These steps are a great move on the part of the PGA, particularly since producers often hold the most power on any given film set or television production. And now that the guidelines are complete, it's particularly poignant that the first movie to implement them on set and throughout the production will be Wonder Woman 2, considering the controversy surrounding frequent Warner Brothers' producing partner Brett Ratner.

A few months ago, Ellen Page, who had worked with Ratner on X-Men 2, accused the producer of "homophobic and abusive behavior" in a lengthy Facebook post. Ratner was also accused of harassment by six other women in a detailed report by The Los Angeles Times. (As a result of the allegations, Ratner left Warner Bros. and released a statement about resolving "these personal issues.") It was after these claims surfaced that Wonder Woman herself, Gal Gadot, stepped in.

After the success of Wonder Woman, Gadot's clout and influence in the industry grew exponentially. According to a report by The New York Post's Page Six, Godot refused to sign on for Wonder Woman 2 unless Ratner's stake was bought out and he was ousted from any involvement with the film. As it turns out, Gadot didn't have to do much, as she later confirmed that Ratner wasn't involved with WW2 at all. But regardless, the fact that the actor would use her new fame to make sets safer for women and get an accused harasser off of her film is an incredible act of solidarity with the women who are coming forward.

Wonder Woman the character, the movie, and the actor who plays her all represent an incredible female empowerment that Hollywood has needed for a long time. The #MeToo movement and Times Up initiative are spreading like wildfire, and now, there's this move by the PGA to add to the mix. The new guidelines will hopefully lead to fewer victims of abuse and harassment, but also add to the embrace of female-centric films and more women on sets, behind cameras, in writers' rooms, and executive chairs going forward.