Wonder Woman breaks record to become biggest ever live-action film by female director

Wonder Woman has overtaken Mamma Mia! to become the biggest ever live-action film by a female director.

The critically-acclaimed superhero film, directed by Patty Jenkins, has now grossed an impressive £514 million worldwide, overtaking the previous record of £479 million set by Phyllida Lloyd in 2008.

The big screen blockbuster, starring Gal Gadot, already smashed the record for the best opening weekend by a female director when it was released earlier this month.

Beating Sam Taylor Johnson’s Fifty Shades of Grey, Wonder Woman made £66 million globally in its first three-day weekend.

It was recently reported that lead actress Gadot had made just £300,000 for the film, which has already raked in over $600 million at the box office.

Initial reports suggested that Henry Cavill had made a rather more hefty £14 million for the same role, although it later emerged that this was a combined total after bonuses and consequent sequels.

“Entry-level actors in franchise films [like Gadot and Cavill] are paid an initial rate,” an industry insider told Vanity Fair.

“As a franchise takes off, they stand to make more money.”

Gadot, 32 , has won critical acclaim for her turn as the superhero on the big screen, with many describing it as a “career-defining” performance.

The film, which has received universally positive reviews, was controversially banned from screening in Lebanon thanks to the casting of Israeli actress Gadot.

The Lebanese government has made the decision to ban the new superhero film from all cinemas after discovering that the lead actress previously served in the Israeli Defence Force.