Wonder Woman Is "A Step Backwards," James Cameron Says; Director Responds

[UPDATE] Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins responded to Cameron's comments in a statement posted on Twitter.

The original story is below.

Famous filmmaker James Cameron has shared his thoughts on the critically praised action movie Wonder Woman, which stars Gal Gadot in the title role. Speaking to The Guardian, Cameron said the movie feels like "a step backwards" in some regards.

Some of Cameron's biggest movies have featured women in leading roles, including Kate Winslet as Rose in Titanic, Sigourney Weaver as Ripley in Aliens and Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor in Terminator. For Wonder Woman, Cameron said the movie is "just male Hollywood doing the same old thing!" Here is Cameron's full quote (via Entertainment Weekly):

"All of the self-congratulatory back-patting Hollywood's been doing over Wonder Woman has been so misguided. She's an objectified icon, and it's just male Hollywood doing the same old thing!

"I'm not saying I didn't like the movie but, to me, it's a step backwards. Sarah Connor was not a beauty icon. She was strong, she was troubled, she was a terrible mother, and she earned the respect of the audience through pure grit. And to me, [the benefit of characters like Sarah] is so obvious. I mean, half the audience is female!"

Wonder Woman opened in June and has made more than $800 million at the global box office, according to Box Office Mojo. The movie will be released onto digital stores on August 29, with a DVD and Blu-ray release to follow in September. The home video version contains a number of extras, including an epilogue.

A sequel to Wonder Woman is on the way, and director Patty Jenkins is coming back to direct with a big pay day, apparently. In July, it was reported that Wonder Woman 2 might be set in the 1980s. Screen Rant stated that the movie will "send Diana against the forces of Soviet Union in the closing days of the Cold War."