Finally released to theaters some twelve years after Michelle Pfeiffer first sunk her claws into the role of Catwoman in Batman Returns, the movie Catwoman was truly a disaster. Three A-list actresses turned down the lead prior to Halle Berry and Warner Brothers didn’t even make back half of the film’s $100-million budget at the domestic box office. Unlike most flops, the saga of Catwoman isn’t finished yet, even as it comes out on DVD. This is the story of Catwoman:
Many movies have poor box office numbers, on-set gaffes or bad press preceding them. Catwoman has the rare but nonetheless illustrious distinction of possessing all three.
The character of Catwoman initially appeared as ‘The Cat’ in DC Comics’ Batman #1 in 1940. Soon morphing into the more familiar Catwoman, the character was always something of an enigma for Batman. She was a villain, just like The Riddler and The Penguin, yet there was something uniquely different about her. Much of this probably stemmed from Batman’s positive reaction to her tight, form-fitting costume, but this is merely splitting hairs.
The modern incarnation of Catwoman was first seen in director Tim Burton’s 1992 film, Batman Returns. Played by Michelle Pfeiffer, Catwoman was an instant success (her patent leather costume becoming the talk of America that summer). As a result, Warner Brothers began to float the idea of a Catwoman spin-off soon thereafter.
Amazed at how uncomfortable the Catwoman suit was, Pfeiffer passed on the role, sending the project into freefall. Over the next ten years, A-list stars Nicole Kidman, Angelina Jolie and Ashley Judd were all rumored to be attached to the Catwoman project for a time, before finally bowing out. Of these actresses, Judd came the closest to becoming Catwoman, actually signing on to do the role in 2001 before a scheduling conflict arose that precluded her from doing the project.
Two years later, Halle Berry was finally anointed to don the skimpy, black suit, a move that instantly angered ardent fans of both the Batman comic books and the character. Much like casting a black actor to play the role of James Bond, making Berry Catwoman caused quite a commotion. Interestingly, a similar problem arose for Burton when he cast Marlon Wayans as Robin in Batman Returns. Wayans’ footage was all edited out of the movie.
To make matters worse for Catwoman, the film’s director, the singularly named Pitof, had never previously made an American film. The one film Pitof had to his credit was a 2001 period piece starring Gerard Depardieu, called Vidocq. Understanding precious little about the comic book character’s following, Pitof allowed Catwoman’s alter-ego to change from Selena Kyle to Patience Phillips and then steadfastly refused to use Batman creator Bob Kane’s model for the character. As such, there is no mention of Gotham City, Batman, or anything else from previous Batman films.
Things didn’t get easier during principal photography. Berry suffered an injury that landed her in the hospital when she crashed into piece of equipment and rumors abounded that co-star Sharon Stone was so displeased about the project that she took to answering her cell phone during filming.
Test screenings were so bad that scenes were reshot only thirty days before its scheduled release. Then, Warner Brothers quizzically moved the release date for the film up a week, from July 30th to July 23rd, pitting it against the much-anticipated Bourne Supremacy.
Catwoman’s budget was thought to be above $100 million. The domestic take for the film is listed at $40 million. Falling onto many ‘Worst of’ lists, Berry has returned the film to the spotlight in recent weeks with several unconfirmed reports surfacing that she is attempting to get out of playing Phillips/Catwoman again in the sequel. If only America could be so lucky.
emily riemer
