This weekend 20 years ago, two big Hollywood movies hit theaters: Catwoman and The Bourne Supremacy. As you might be able to already guess, the sequel to Matt Damon’s action-packed thriller won audiences over more than Halle Berry’s DC movie. With the anniversary here, Catwoman’s leading woman is getting real about the superhero movie being an infamous flop.
Not only was Catwoman a commercial flop, as it earned $82 million worldwide against a reported $100 million budget, it also was universally panned by critics. Halle Berry has talked before about the Catwoman story not feeling “quite right” on set, and in honor of this anniversary, she has spoken more in depth about her feelings on the script. In Berry’s words:
I always thought the idea of Catwoman saving women from a face cream felt a bit soft. All the other superheroes save the world; they don’t just save women from cracked faces. I always knew that was a soft superhero plight, but at that time in my career, I didn’t have the agency I have today or belief that I could challenge that, so I went along with it.
Berry wanted her character to “save the world” like her superhero counterparts Batman and Superman, but that was unfortunately not the outcome of Catwoman. Behind the scenes, the movie went through numerous changes and rewrites that one of the movie’s writers, John Brancato, likened to an “out-of-control machine.” For one thing, he claims that Catwoman’s cosmetic villains, played by Sharon Stone and Lambert Wilson, lost the “sharpness” and “social context” that sought to talk about the toxicity of beauty culture intended over time.
While speaking to Entertainment Weekly of the production, the actor also got honest about what it was like to be the butt of the joke with Catwoman. Berry spoke about carrying the pain from its reception for years after its release. While she memorably laughed off the flop by accepting a Razzie Award for the movie, she “didn’t love” the backlash, but didn’t let it stop her world or “derail” her from doing what she loves.
While Halle Berry can count herself among actors who have admitted to not liking their own movies, she has previously said she would absolutely play Catwoman again if given the opportunity. The actress has even channelled Catwoman since the movie’s release and shared that she’s been confronted with tons of real fans of the film over the years.
In honor of the anniversary, Halle Berry also took to Instagram to talk about the movie as well. She thanked fans for embracing the movie, calling it a “beloved” film that has allowed Patience Phillips to get “her due” these days. Check it out:
While Halle Berry isn’t exactly known as the best of live-action Catwoman actresses, her version is certainly one we’ll never forget. Looking ahead, we’re curious when and where Catwoman will strike next among the upcoming DC movies.