Meet Patty Jenkins: The Wonder Woman Behind 'Wonder Woman 1984'

The superhero influence of a mother

My mother had us when she was very young and uneducated. Then my father passed away and suddenly she was a poor, single mom with no education. I watched her move us around, take us all over the world, put herself through her bachelor's degree, then her master's degree and then move to D.C., do all of these things. So I've seen it modeled for me, making big moves. She always wanted me to be careful and safe, but there was never any limit to what we could do. And that was very powerful.

What she loves (and doesn't love) about turning 50

If being 50 is what it takes to finally get to this place in the road, then I'm all for it. I was always waiting to get older, so that I could do the things that I wanted to do. That said, as my eyesight gets weaker, it super bums me out that it's not going to get better. You know? That stuff really sucks. It's just the beginning of the things you're just going to lose. But I really do feel like I've never been happier than where I am. It took me all these years of learning to be able to do what I'm doing now. In that regard I'm so happy to be in my 50s.

The TV queen who was her role model

I was obsessed with The Carol Burnett Show. I watched it every chance I got. I was so fixated on her. I credit her with modeling you could do whatever you want. She was so not bound by gender. She was so free and unvain. She was definitely a major role model for me.

RELATED: Carol Burnett Is Still Going Strong and Living in the Now

Back from burnout

Wonder Woman was so many days of work — five years straight of being in full production that I was like, “Ugh, I don't care if I ever direct again. I just need a break.” But now the pandemic has given me this break. I've been habitually thinking of things I'm passionate about and so I've already overloaded my schedule with projects that I want to do.

The post-pandemic future of movies

Jenkins Fast Facts

Clay Enos/DC Comics/Warner Bros. Entertainment

Age: 49 [turns 50 on July 24, 2021]

Hometown: Victorville, California 

Current project: Wonder Woman 1984, HBO Max and in theaters Dec. 25.

Greatest hits: Monster (2003), Wonder Woman (2017)

Comedic timing: She’s also directed episodes of TV’s Arrested Development, Entourage and The Sarah Silverman Program. 

Home front: Married to writer-producer Sam Sheridan; one son, Asa, 12.

I believe that people love to go to group activities like the movies and they always will. However, I also feel like in my lifetime, I've seen so many better things slip away for worse things while no one notices. Just like losing a town center, losing big metal washing machines and dryers and toasters. We let those things go and replaced them with things that didn't work. So I worry about theater owners; I've tried to do whatever I could.

I'm not worried theoretically for movies, though. I think that movies are stronger than the industry that makes them, and people's desire to see movies is huge and will go on. I know that good story and film will survive.

Post-COVID cravings

I'm just dying to have some fun, go to restaurants or have a party. That's what I feel myself craving. I was working so much I really didn't do anything social for so long. My husband just pointed out that the Roaring Twenties followed the Spanish flu, and I think it's really going to go crazy. People are going to be so social and wild when this is over.

Quarantine's silver lining

You observe all kinds of little detailed things about each other that you've never focused on so much, for better or worse. I think the biggest thing — and not that there haven't been irritating things — but I think how happy I am to be with him. I'm like, “God, I super-like my husband,” and it's so great to get to be with my son this way. There's been so much bad in this pandemic, and the silver lining for me is I don't know what would have stopped time for me to be with my son when he's 12.