Wonder Woman

The Israeli actress and former Miss Israel posted: "Israel deserves to live as a free and safe nation," adding: "Our neighbours deserve the same."

The comments attracted thousands of replies - now switched off - leading to her name trending on Twitter.

In her youth, Gadot completed two years of mandatory military service.

"My heart breaks," the 36-year-old posted online.

"My country is at war. I worry for my family, my friends. I worry for my people. This is a vicious cycle that has been going on for far too long.

Variety said Wonder Woman 1984's $16.7m (£12.3m) debut was "the biggest opening weekend haul in the coronavirus era".

The Warner Bros film was made available on the HBO Max streaming service on the same day it opened in more than 2,000 cinemas in the US and Canada.

Its distributor said HBO Max's viewing hours had tripled as a consequence.

According to Warner Media, nearly half of the platform's retail subscribers viewed Wonder Woman 1984 when it became available on Christmas Day.

Around half that tally came from China, where Wonder Woman 1984 made $18.8m (£14.2m) in its opening weekend.

That sum was less than half the amount its predecessor made in China when it opened three years ago.

The sequel's takings were inevitably affected by the coronavirus pandemic, which has shut cinemas in many places.

In the UK for example, only around a quarter of cinemas were open and in a position to screen it to their customers.

The film also did not open in the US, where its distributor Warner Bros plans to release it in cinemas on 25 December.

Her new superhero movie has been delayed three times during the coronavirus pandemic.

Jenkins is among dozens of top Hollywood directors appealing to the US government to provide a financial lifeline to cinemas.

Her warning comes as cinemas in the UK are also struggling with a recent spate of delayed film releases.

"If we shut this down, this will not be a reversible process," she said in an interview with Reuters news agency. "We could lose movie theatre-going forever."

The 32-year-old action star is taking a stance against sexual harassment - producer Ratner has been accused of multiple instances of misconduct.

Gadot is said to be refusing to let a series celebrating women's empowerment benefit a man accused of harassing women.

"She's tough, stands by her principles [and] knows the best way to hit people like Brett Ratner is in the wallet," a source told Page Six.

That makes the superhero film starring Gal Gadot and directed by Patty Jenkins the biggest opening ever for a female director. The previous record holder, "Fifty Shades of Grey," brought in $85.2 million in 2015.

"Wonder Woman" is the first major superhero film to be led by a woman, and it was women who helped the film to the top of the box office this weekend.

More than half, 52%, of the film's audience this weekend were female -- a significant number for a genre that has been dominated by men.