Professor Marston and the Wonder Women DVD Release Event

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment celebrated the DVD/Blu Ray release of Professor Marston and the Wonder Women with a costume exhibit and Q&A with director and screenwriter Angela Robinson and costume designer Donna Maloney. It is a must-see film for anyone curious about the origin of Wonder Woman’s origin story, starring Luke Evans as Professor Marston, the man who created the iconic female hero.

The official synopsis reads:

In a superhero origin tale unlike any other, PROFESSOR MARSTON & THE WONDER WOMEN is the incredible true story of what inspired Harvard psychologist Dr. William Moulton Marston to create the iconic Wonder Woman character in the 1940’s. While Marston’s feminist superhero was criticized by censors for her ‘sexual perversity’, he was keeping a secret that could have destroyed him. Marston’s muses for the Wonder Woman character were his wife Elizabeth Marston and their lover Olive Byrne, two empowered women who defied convention: working with Marston on human behavior research — while building a hidden life with him that rivaled the greatest of superhero disguises.

Robinson who spent eight years bringing the story to light said, “The hard part was the psychology and science and what it was like to live in that era.” Not only did she have to study the period, Robinson also had to learn about the early history of psychology. “I had to figure out how out of step Marston was with his science and how to condense 30 year into two hours.”

Robinson also discussed casting the film which she shot in 25 days. She wanted Luke Evans because “I was obsessed with him forever.” She added, “He had this palpable masculinity.” Rebecca Hall who plays Elizabeth Marston had been interested in Marston’s story through Jill Lepore’s book, The Secret History of Wonder Woman, so when she was approached by Robinson, the timing could not have been more perfect.

Donna Maloney who designed over 50 costumes for each character said she had done a lot of research into the world of burlesque to make the costumes she needed. She researched over three decades and went shopping in NYC and even online, finding some items on Etsy.com.

With compelling performances, a polyamorous love story, gorgeous costumes and a stunning narrative with subtle clues and hints of what’s to come, Professor Marston and the Wonder Women is a beautiful story that not only looks at an origin story, but the invention of the modern day lie detector machine. At it’s heart is the love story between William (Evans), Olive (Bella Heathcote) and Elizabeth (Rebecca Hall) who live a happy life, experimenting with bondage. The story Robinson tells is a charming one that needs to be seen on DVD or digital, especially if you missed it the first time around when it was released last year.