Story?
The two stories that spring to mind that would please both fans and newcomers alike would be the surprisingly good 2009 animated Wonder Woman movie and the fantastic current run in the comics by writer Brian Azzarello and artist Cliff Chiang. The animated movie is loosely based on one of the most definitive Wonder Woman stories, the 1987 relaunch seven issue arc entitled Gods and Mortals. Both stories tackle some of the key elements of the character's story; her origins, interactions with the Amazonian/Greek Gods and Wonder Woman's relationship with the human world. Without a doubt, one of the most interesting parts of Wonder Woman's universe are the Gods. In the God of War video games the likes of Zeus, Ares, Hades and Athena have seriously great on screen aesthetic and this could certainly carry to over to the big screen. If the script could utilize Wonder Woman's supporting cast appropriately, it could take the film to the next level. There are recent strong rumors that the Green Lantern co-writer Michael Goldenberg is currently working on a script. Don't hold that too much against Goldenberg though, he also co-wrote Contact (with Carl Sagan no less) and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix so there is still hope for his Wonder Woman screenplay. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Joss Whedon. A man who is known for championing strong female characters in nearly all his work, Whedon seemed the perfect fit for the Princess of Themyscira. Apparently, he had completed a script but for whatever reason it fell by the wayside. Of course, Whedon then went on to write and direct the highest grossing comic book movie of all time, The Avengers, so there was a silver lining to the collapse of his Wonder Woman script after all.
Likelihood?
Until very recently, I would have said that a Wonder Woman live-action film would be unlikely. But with the aforementioned recent news that Michael Goldenberg is all but confirmed to be writing a script, it seems that we will be seeing Diana on the silver screen sooner rather than later. My guess would be that by 2015, we won't have the Wonder Woman movie we need, we will have the Wonder Woman movie we deserve. Click "next" below for Part 2, "Casting"