Could Wonder Woman win the Best Picture Oscar?

Gal Gadot as Diana in Wonder Woman. Photo / supplied

Patti Jenkins's Wonder Woman has already broken records, with its $103.1 million opening weekend marking the best North American debut for a female director to date, and its $781 million global box office takings making it the most profitable female-directed film ever.

Now, however, the critically acclaimed comic book adaptation, which stars Gal Gadot as the titular Amazonian warrior, is setting its sights on another first: namely, becoming the first superhero movie to win an Academy Award for Best Picture.

Bolstered by the film's overwhelmingly positive reviews, and perhaps by its undeniably weighty, Oscar-worthy subject matter (the inevitability of war vs the human instinct for compassion, for instance), the studio behind the movie, Warner Bros, is now considering funding a "formidable" Best Picture nomination campaign, as well as a Best Director campaign for Jenkins.

According to Variety, studio executives are hopeful that a recent shake-up of the Academy Awards membership, which will allow a wider, younger pool of people to vote, might raise the film's chances.

Early this year, there was some speculation that the tongue-in-cheek Deadpool would gain a Best Picture nomination, but this was not to be. More recently, some have also suggested that the gritty, remarkably downbeat X-Men movie Logan could be in with a shot for the 2018 awards ceremony.

Wonder Woman received overwhelmingly positive reviews. Photo / supplied

Wonder Woman, however, arguably has a broader appeal than both these titles, and a more straightforwardly emotive plotline and heads-on readiness to tackle big themes that could prove a hit with the Academy voters.

That said, the film's position as part of Warner Brothers' ongoing DC Universe series could either help or hinder its chances.

While previous titles in the franchise, such as Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad, have gained a mixed to downright negative reception, there are hopes that the forthcoming Justice League, which will feature Gadot's Wonder Woman alongside other big-name superheroes, will be another hit.

If this proves to be the case, then the film, released this November, should help keep the character in the public (and the Academy-voter) consciousness.

If, however, Justice League receives a Suicide Squad-style critical mauling, then the character's association with the title/brand might prove harmful, at least in terms of its Oscar-worthy "prestige". Let's keep our fingers crossed this won't be the case.

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