Famed Wonder Woman actress Gal Gadot is poised to collaborate with Mulan director Niki Caro on the upcoming post-World War II thriller titled Ruin. Caro, who hails from New Zealand and has directed notable films such as her 2002 hit Whale Rider and the 2017 film The Zookeeper’s Wife, recently directed the Netflix action movie The Mother featuring Jennifer Lopez. Gadot, widely recognized for her role in the DC Extended Universe as Wonder Woman, has also ventured into live-action Disney films, starring as the Evil Queen in Snow White.
According to Variety, Gadot is set to star opposite Matthias Schoenaerts (known from The Old Guard, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow) in Ruin, under the direction of Caro. The screenplay, crafted by Kaz Firpo and Ryan Firpo, features Gadot playing a former detainee of a prison camp in post-World War II Germany. Additionally, Gadot will also serve as a producer on the film alongside her husband Jaron Varsano, Marc Butan of MadRiver Pictures, and Caro herself.
Insights Into Gal Gadot’s Ruin
Gadot’s Longstanding Interest in the Project
The script for Ruin, penned by the writers behind Marvel’s Eternals, first gained attention when it topped the Black List survey in Hollywood in 2017. The film’s plot follows Gadot’s character, a recently freed camp prisoner, as she forms an unlikely partnership with a former German soldier (portrayed by Schoenaerts) to seek vengeance against a Nazi SS squad in post-war Germany. Previously, Gadot had been in talks to lead an earlier version of this project, initially set to be directed by Justin Kurzel (The Order).
This film marks Caro’s second directorial venture into a World War II drama, her first being The Zookeeper’s Wife, which tells the true story of Polish zookeepers Jan and Antonina Żabiński, who saved hundreds of Polish Jews during the Nazi occupation. Meanwhile, Gadot had also previously committed to both produce and star in a film about Polish resistance hero Irena Sendler for Warner Bros.
Our Perspective on Gadot’s New WWII Thriller
Comparisons of the Script to Other Acclaimed Wartime Revenge Films
While Gadot and Caro each have some experience with World War II narratives, the vengeance-driven storyline of Ruin appears to set it apart from their previous works like The Zookeeper’s Wife and Gadot’s Irena Sendler project. In fact, earlier comparisons have drawn parallels between the script and Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds and David Ayer’s Fury.
Equipped with a dark, revenge-based theme, Ruin promises to be a captivating project for both its lead actress and director. Whether it achieves similar acclaim to the films it has been compared to is yet to be determined, but the streaming success of Caro’s recent action thriller suggests she is well-prepared to steer this ambitious project.
Ava Thornton is an entertainment journalist with a keen eye for the latest in Hollywood, indie films, and streaming trends.
Her work blends insider knowledge with a deep appreciation for storytelling.
