TEL AVIV – Israeli actress Gal Gadot will star in the biggest feature film produced by Netflix, scoring a large payday for the actress best known for her role as Wonder Woman.
“Red Notice,” an action thriller that will also star Ryan Reynolds and Dwayne Johnson, will have a predicted budget of $200 million, Variety reported.
Johnson and Gadot were also co-stars in “Fast and Furious 6.”
The movie, set for release in late 2020, was first picked up by Universal Studios but then shopped around to other studios after producers feared it wouldn’t fare well at the box office when competing with the ruling superhero franchises.
According to the report, Netflix outbid Paramount and bagged the movie in the hopes of securing its position as the leading streaming service as HBO and Disney prepare to enter the fray with their own streaming services.
Gadot will receive the same salary as Johnson for acting in the movie, estimated at around $20 million. Johnson will also receive an additional stipend — to the tune of millions of dollars — for his role as the main producer, the report said.
It is a far cry from her Wonder Woman days, during which the internet swirled with rumors that the Israeli star was paid a meagre $300,000 for her reprisal of the iconic superhero.
Gadot posted a teaser about “Red Notice” on Instagram.
“So excited about this project! This is gonna be so much fun & I can’t wait to share this one with you. Let’s do this boys!” she wrote.
“Wonder Woman” was banned in Lebanon, Tunisia and Qatar over the Israeli actress’ starring role.
Gadot recently said that highlighting her Israeliness was her way of combating anti-Semitism.
“I receive a lot of anti-Semitic messages and talkbacks. But [being Israeli is] just who I am and I believe there is no reason to hide it or lie. Those who love will get it and that’s it,” she told the Hebrew-language news website Walla.
“Israel is very important to me, and I wish for our country to really be in a good place and enjoy some quiet, stability, peace and calm, because I believe in the end that all the people want it. There are no people who want war and for their sons to have to go to the army. We want it to be good here. So I try to reinforce these messages, about the good and the desire for peace and quiet,” added Gadot.