The world of blockbusters, franchises and superheroes has long been dominated by men, from the faces we see on screen to the producers, writers and directors behind their stories. But according to screenwriter Christina Hodson, “there are a large number of talented female voices that want to break through [that] room— and she’s one of the few who made it. Of The flash hitting theaters later this week, we’ll be highlighting the writer as someone to watch.
Christina Hodson’s focus on female-fronted blockbusters
Hodson cut her teeth on a few smaller projects (including a script that landed on the prestigious Black List) before making a statement in 2018 with Bumblebee. Although this spin-off of the Transformers franchise sounded like an eye-watering cash grab, Hodson’s script focused on a relatable human protagonist (Hailee Steinfeld) rather than battling bots. Her fresh look helped to make it best rated video of the series.
Her next venture was the lively one Birds of prey, her first collaboration with the DCU. In the footsteps of director Patty Jenkins’ powerful Wonderwoman, the film brought an all-female superhero team to the big screen in a revolutionary way. Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn leads the charge alongside women with different moral compasses played by Rosie Perez, Jurnee Smollett and Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and each is written as uniquely bawdy, brutish and brilliant. Hodson’s script spares us the empty girl-power moments so common in major blockbusters, opting instead to showcase these female characters in all their glorious, hilarious complexity. It’s a trend she probably would have continued in bat girlthe film that was infamously scrapped by Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav. Discovery (WB) due to cost-cutting measures, but now she focuses on larger projects.
Taking on a troubled production
Hodson took over as the main writer The flash after the film went through a series of major personnel changes in the pre-production process. Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, the duo responsible for the lego movie, who also wrote and produced Spider-Man: About the Spider-Verse— were initially backed as writer-directors, but the script duty was doomed to change hands several times — at one point, star Ezra Miller decided to write their own version with comic book writer Grant Morrison. Hodson got the project on after work Birds of preyand she had a heap of previous designs to scale.
In the end, she seems to have done quite well and her burgeoning reputation as a “ace genre screenwriter.” Her writing about the film garnered praise, largely feeling that “despite being saddled with the baggage of the DCU’s failures” The flash‘s story “manages to shine through the noise.” She keeps things”smart” And “playful“and handles”the stakes…threats, fears and conflictsof not only her film, but of the countless DC episodes that preceded it.
To cinematic universes and beyond
That kind of franchise boost is paying off for Hodson, as she’s fast becoming a staple in the high-stakes world of Hollywood blockbusters. She has recently been asked to write the following Fast & Furious movie, and she remains in DC as a member of the expanded universe writer’s room. She is a champion of female voices in big budget movie making and paves the way for many other female screenwriters.
