'Wonder Woman' returning for 2019 movie sequel

LOS ANGELES, July 26 (Reuters) - "Wonder Woman" is coming back for more.

Hollywood movie studio Warner Bros. on Tuesday announced a December 2019 date for the return of the female superhero, played by Gal Gadot, who smashed box office records in June.

Israeli actress Gadot is set to reprise her role as Diana Prince but director Patty Jenkins is yet to be confirmed as directing the sequel.

"Wonder Woman" was the first superhero movie to star a woman since 2005 and the first to be directed by a woman. It rode to the top of the box office on a wave of good reviews and female empowerment, and is now the second-biggest movie of the year in North America after the live action version of "Beauty and the Beast."

"Wonder Woman" has taken in some $780 million at the worldwide box office.

The Warner Bros. statement gave no details about the sequel saying only that "Wonder Woman 2" would be released on Dec. 13, 2019.

Hollywood trade paper Variety reported in June that Jenkins was already working on a script for a sequel and that it would likely be set again in the past, but not during the World War One era of the first movie.

A teaser at the Comic-Con convention in San Diego over the weekend gave a glimpse of "Wonder Woman II," the presumed sequel. (Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Chris Reese)