How to watch Wonder Woman 1984 in the UK on demand and in cinemas

Taking place decades after the original, the movie picks up with our Amazonian hero navigating a rapidly changing world, before being reunited with a face from her past.

Read on for everything you need to know about the exciting new DC film, including its home release date and details on the Wonder Woman 1984 cast.

When is Wonder Woman 1984's release date?

Wonder Woman 1984 was released in the UK on Wednesday 16th December, but its availability has been restricted as cinemas are only open for people living in tier one or tier two areas.

Fortunately, anyone under tighter lockdowns or shielding for medical reasons will be able to watch the movie from the safety of their home next month.

Warner Bros has confirmed that Wonder Woman 1984 will be available as a Premium Video on Demand (PVOD) title from Wednesday 13th January, but will also continue to be shown in cinemas where legally allowed.

It's unclear exactly how much Wonder Woman 1984 will cost from home, but Warner Bros previous PVOD release The Witches was released as a 48-hour rental for the cost of £15.99.

Originally scheduled for a November 2019 release, Wonder Woman 1984 was first moved to June 2020, before the coronavirus pandemic forced a further delay to August, then October, and now the current festive season date.

How to watch Wonder Woman 1984 in the UK

Wonder Woman 1984 is currently only available to watch in cinemas but Warner Bros is putting alternative arrangements in place for parts of the country where that is not possible.

As of Wednesday 13th January, fans will be able to rent the movie from home as a Premium Video On Demand (PVOD) title, expected to be available on several platforms including Amazon, Google Play and iTunes.

If you are living in a Tier 3 or Tier 4 area, or simply do not wish to visit a public space such as a cinema, then head to your preferred service next month to rent the movie.

Notably, Wonder Woman 1984 will continue to be shown in cinemas where legally allowed and may even have a longer run than usual due to the lack of rival blockbusters being released.

In the United States, HBO Max subscribers will get the film on Christmas Day as part of their subscription, but unfortunately that streaming service is not yet available in the UK.

In a tweet shared after the HBO Max announcement, star Gal Gadot revealed that it was important to the creative team to release the film in 2020, in the hope that it helps lift spirits after such a tough year.

"It wasn't an easy decision and we never thought we'd have to hold onto the release for such a long time but COVID rocked all of our worlds," she said.

"We feel the movie has never been so relevant and we hope that it'll bring some joy, hope, and love to your hearts. Wonder Woman 1984 is a special one for me and I can only hope it'll be as special to you too."

Why was Wonder Woman 1984 delayed?

Wonder Woman 1984 was originally scheduled for release in November 2019, but the movie was shifted to summer blockbuster status in June, which producer Charles Roven said they had "always wanted".

He added: "We had a very rushed pre-production because Patty also did the TNT show [I Am The Night] and we had a very rushed post-production schedule in order to make the date that we were on, which was November 1, 2019.

"We were doing it because the studio said they really needed it, and then at a certain point they came to us and they said, ‘You know what, you guys are right. Let’s go back to the month that you guys released Wonder Woman 1 in, and take the extra time'."

Unfortunately, this put Wonder Woman 1984 slap-bang in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, which has led to even more delays, first to mid-August, then October, and now Christmas Day.

Even though cinemas in some territories have now reopened, the pandemic has ensured that movie-going habits have not yet returned to normal, and so the delays were intended to protect the film's box office figures.

However, with the announcement of Wonder Woman 1984's simultaneous release in US cinemas and HBO Max, it appears that Warner Bros has accepted that it's unlikely to reach the giddy heights of the first outing.

It could however provide a substantial boost to the subscriber count of HBO Max, which has been trailing behind the likes of Netflix, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video.

Wonder Woman 1984 reviews

While the delays suffered by Wonder Woman 1984 have been frustrating for fans, the film has been well worth the wait according to critics. (Read RadioTimes.com's Wonder Woman 1984 review.)

A number of critics were lucky enough to see the blockbuster ahead of its global launch and many took to Twitter to voice their enthusiasm for the project.

Erik Davis, managing editor of Fandango described the film as "an absolute blast" and talked up how it compliments the first film, despite the radically different setting.

IGN's Terri Schwartz also expressed her support, calling Wonder Woman 1984 her favourite entry yet in the DC Extended Universe, with a message that truly resonates after such a difficult year.

Cinema Blend film critic Eric Eisenberg also attended a screening and had nothing but good things to say, with the villainous roles taken on by Kristen Wiig and Pedro Pascal being a highlight for him.

Among the other early reactions was MTV News correspondent Josh Horowitz who said the film was cut from the same cloth as Richard Donner's Superman, while Nerdist's Amy Ratcliffe called the film "uplifting" and "what we all need".

Wonder Woman 1984 latest news

Following on from the DC FanDome panel in August 2020, we've been given a teaser of just how huge the film's scale will be, after Chris Pine revealed that the iconic Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington DC completely shut down for production.

“The little eight-year-old kid in you can’t believe that you’re doing what you’re doing and that you get the privilege of doing it,” he said.

However, an unforeseen issue with the film's chaotic release strategy is that certain tie-in products could give away major spoiler from the film's plot.

According to Bleeding Cool, two children's books released to tie-in with the film's original June release date, actually reveal details about how Wonder Woman's love interest Steve Trevor has returned from the dead.

Wonder Woman fans should be extra vigilant while surfing the web over the coming months, as more spoilers could pop up.

Recently director Patty Jenkins took to Twitter to answer some fan questions about the film, ahead of a panel at the DC Fan Dome.

Amongst the info Jenkins revealed was that the design for Cheetah was an "extremely hard" and "complex" process.

"We wanted it to look fantastic and that ended up being very complex," she said. "First, the most incredible design then figuring out how to execute it was a long journey. It ended up being a mix of practical and visual effects but it was worth it to make it look amazing!"

Jenkins also revealed that while Cheetah has been billed as a villain, there is more to her character than that - claiming, "She is an amazing character in her own right, who evolves in such a great way. And I can tell you that Kristen Wiig killed it!"

Is there a Wonder Woman 1984 trailer?

There is indeed and it's a corker. The official trailer released by Warner Bros back in December embraces the 1980s aesthetic with bold neon letters and an awesome remix of Blue Monday by New Order.

We get our first look at Pedro Pascal as Maxwell Lord and Kristen Wiig as Cheetah, as well as the emotional reunion between Wonder Woman and her lost love Steve Trevor.

There's also action aplenty, with the eponymous super hero putting her iconic whip to devastating use against a number of foes, while proclaiming: "Nothing good is born from lies and greatness is not what you think."

We also got a second trailer which showed a little more of Diana Prince's new costume at the DC FanDome event in August 2020.

The new Wonder Woman 1984 trailer also gave us our first-look at Kristen Wiig's Cheetah in her full-blown feline form.

You can check out the whopper of a trailer below:

In September a Japanese trailer was released that offered the first footage of Diana flying in the golden suit - we had previously only seen her in the new costumer while she had her feet on the ground. Check it out below.

Who is in the cast of Wonder Woman 1984?

Gal Gadot as Diana Prince

2017'S Wonder Woman saw Gal Gadot take centre stage as the iconic female superhero - though she had already appeared in earlier DC movies.

Gadot, 34, will once again don her indestructible bracelets to play the immortal demigoddess.

She's also starred in Fast & Furious, Knight and Day and Date Night.

Chris Pine as Steve Trevor

Taking on the role as Wonder Woman's love interest Steve Trevor, Chris Pine returns for Wonder Woman 1984. Steve died in the first movie, but the circumstances of his resurrection will soon be revealed.

Pine has played Captain Kirk in Star Trek and has starred in Rise of the Guardians, Into the Woods and Horrible Bosses 2.

Kristen Wiig as Cheetah

Bridesmaids and Ghostbusters actor Kristen Wiig will play Barbara Minerva AKA the villainous Cheetah. Patty Jenkins also released a sneak peek pic of Wiig in character on Twitter…

But the poster gives us our best look at Cheetah in her human form. During a panel at CCXP, Patty Jenkins revealed the team aimed to show Cheetah's mutation "practically". If you're wondering what that means, she added they “[got] to a place where you end up having to go a little further, and so, it’s got a little help, but a lot of it is very real.”

Jenkins also revealed why she cast Wiig, saying: "We were super fans of Kristen, and we love how funny she is, but also I've been a huge admirer of what a great actress she is for a long time. So when we needed someone to go all the way from one end of the spectrum of being funny, sweet Diana's friend, all the way to a totally different place, we knew that Kristen Wiig would kill it, and she went beyond our wildest dreams."

Pedro Pascal as Max Lord

Game of Thrones, Narcos and Mandalorian star Pedro Pascal has also been cast in a role recently confirmed as Maxwell "Max" Lord, a mind-controlling supervillain from the original DC comics who had long been rumoured to have a part in the movie.

Fun fact: Pedro was cast in the pilot for the Wonder Woman 2011 TV adaptation but it never got picked up.

Connie Nielsen as Hyppolyta

Nielsen stars as the Queen of Themyscira, and she's also Wonder Woman's mother.

You'll have seen her in Gladiator, Mission to Mars and The Hunted.

Other confirmed cast members include Robin Wright as Diana's aunt respectively (reprising her role from the first film, presumably in flashback), with Natasha Rothwell, Ravi Patel, Gabriella Wilde, Kristoffer Polaha, and child actress Oakley Bull cast in as-yet-unknown roles.

Will Lynda Carter star in Wonder Woman 1984?

There's also a chance original Wonder Woman star Lynda Carter may appear in the film sequel, with the actor previously saying she was in talks with Jenkins. If you've not seen Carter's version of the superhero, we'd recommend checking out the classic Wonder Woman series.

What is Wonder Woman 1984 about?

Set in – you’re not going to believe this – 1984, the plot will see Diana Prince come up against villain Cheetah, a British anthropologist who is gifted a few superpowers from a cheetah god. In the comics, these abilities include enhanced strength, speed and agility, plus night vision and heightened reflexes. Just think of Catwoman (and pray Cheetah won’t be anything like Halle Berry’s feline-themed hero).

"It’s not a sequel, it’s its own story," Gadot said at last year's San Diego Comic-Con panel. "Its own chapter, a whole new movie. The bar is very high, but our aspirations are even higher. so we just give it everything that we have and hoping what we bring you guys will love.”

Writing on Twitter in response to a fan question in August 2020, Patty Jenkins explained how the story of Wonder Woman 1984 differs from the original film.

She said, "The first film was about the birth of a hero. In this film we find Diana in a very different place. She is now at the top of her game but she has also has also faced a lot to get there. So this hero's journey is about what it takes to be a true hero.

If you can't remember what happened in the first Wonder Woman film it's available to stream and buy so there's no excuse not to be caught up.

Is Wonder Woman 1984 a sequel?

Warner Bros. is insisting that this second movie is not a sequel to Wonder Woman.

Film producer Chris Roven talking to Vulture said: "It’s a completely different time frame and you’ll get a sense of what Diana-slash–Wonder Woman had been doing in the intervening years. But it’s a completely different story that we’re telling. Even though it’ll have a lot of the same emotional things, a lot of humour, a lot of brave action. Tugs at the heartstrings as well.”

Apparently Jenkins was determined that Wonder Woman 1984 is the "next iteration of Wonder Woman but not a sequel".

Despite this insistence, the film follows after Wonder Woman - quite a few years later - but it still follows on.

• For the latest news and expert tips on getting the best deals this year, take a look at our Black Friday 2021 and Cyber Monday 2021 guides.

How is Steve back in Wonder Woman 1984?

Yep, Steve Trevor – the First World War pilot who was at least 30 years old in 1917 – will appear in Wonder Woman 1984. And not in a flashback, either. A photo of Patty Jenkins showed Trevor in a 1980s setting.

Just how could Steve be alive and not aged well into his 90s? Fans have theorised he’ll appear as some sort of hallucination, or that some divine intervention has prevented his death.

When is Wonder Woman 2 set?

Unsurprisingly in 1984. It sounds like Jenkins is embracing the era too.

"You know what was cool? We're treating the era differently than I've seen so far, which I feel like there have a lot of interesting versions of doing the era,” she said. “In our version, as a child of the '8os myself, yes there was funny, ha-ha outfits I can't believe I wore, for sure."

And Jenkins tweeted this picture of Gal Gadot against a psychedelic background as a commiseration to fans when studio WB made the call not to attend 2019's San Diego Comic-Con.

Note that new and improved golden body armour...

Will there be a Wonder Woman 3?

Patty Jenkins has confirmed that the Amazons are getting their own spinoff film. Jenkins said that Wonder Woman 3 is "all mapped out...it's just a matter of will we change our minds and when."

"We actually already know the whole story to [Wonder Woman 3] and then some because there is an Amazon [spin-off] movie, as well, and so we already have it all mapped out. It’s just a matter of will we change our minds and when."

Wonder Woman 1984 is out in UK cinemas now and will be available on demand from 13th January 2021.

If you want to check out the classic Wonder Woman series or the first Wonder Woman film, head to Amazon now. Looking for something to watch? Watch the DC movies in order or check out what else is on with our TV Guide.