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On July 23, the infamous Catwoman celebrated its twentieth anniversary. In 2004, Halle Berryits lead actress and the first black woman to lead a DC Universe film solo, accepted the Razzie Award for Worst Actress with humor and philosophy: “You have to know how to laugh at yourself, accept taking risks even if it means falling flat on your face.”she said then.
This anniversary is therefore an opportunity for the Oscar-winning actress to speak out about the legendary flop of the film when it was released in 2004. With only 82.4 million dollars for a budget of 100 million, the film by Pitof has one of the worst box offices in the DC Universe, far behind the billions amassed by Aquaman and the trilogy Dark Knight of Nolan. Catwoman was even overtaken by Green Lantern (220 million) and Wonder Woman 1984 (169 million), yet commonly hated by fans.
Participant in theoral story of the film for Entertainment Weekly in the company of Denise Di Noviits producer, Pitof, its director, and John Brancatoits screenwriter, Hally Berry remembers that at the time, accepting this role (after the performances of Michelle Pfeiffer, Julie Newmar And Eartha Kitt) was almost a form of activism:
“The first pitch wasn't really a story, it was just the idea of reinventing Catwoman. The studio played a big role in that; the idea was not to do what's been done over and over again, but to bring something different.”
“The beauty of it was that it wasn’t in the Batman universe. Historically, men have always had big franchises that revolve around them. This was an opportunity to push forward, to push the boundaries for women. Why can’t we have our own superhero movie that revolves around us and our universe?”
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At the time, beyond Berry's performance, the film was also heavily criticized for its completely off-the-wall plot. Remember: a graphic designer booked for a cosmetics brand, Patience Phillips is murdered when she tries to raise the alarm about the side effects of a brand new rejuvenation cream intended for women. Brought back to life by a cat, she sets out on a bloody revenge.
“I always thought the idea of Catwoman saving women from a face cream was a bit weakHalle Berry recalls. All the other superheroes save the world; they don’t just save women from cracked faces. I always knew that was a bit of a soft superhero problem, but at that point in my career I didn’t have the agency that I have today or the belief that I could challenge that, so I embraced it.”
On the set, everything is going well, even if, a few months after winning her Oscar for Best Actress for In the shadow of hatredHalle Berry suspects that Catwoman will not be the greatest film of his career. “I never thought there was anything wrong with it; I just thought it might not be as important as other films because the stakes of the plot aren't as high.”she explains.
Then came the fateful moment of the film's release, on July 23, 2004 in the United States, and the insufficient $16.7 million collected for its first weekend of national screening. A cold shower for the entire production team. Halle Berry remembers that one of the subjects that caused irritation was the alterations undergone by Catwoman's costume:
“Fans were upset about the costume. It was something different, but in our minds, why keep remaking Catwoman if you’re not going to take risks and bring something new? The beauty of it was that it was more in line with my version of her, my body, who I am and my sensibilities.”
While the actress took responsibility for this phenomenal flop on the Razzie Awards stage, it wasn't easy to live with. Especially when we know that this flop was unfairly put on her back, it must be said.
“I did not like [les réactions]. As a black woman, I’m used to carrying negativity on my back, fighting back, being a fish swimming alone against the tide. I’m used to defying stereotypes and making my way from nothing. I didn’t mean to be flippant, but I went for that Razzie, laughed at myself, and kept moving forward.”
“I hated being blamed for everything, and I hate that even today, it's my failure, she continues. I know I can handle it. I still have a career 20 years later. It's just part of my story. It's okay, and I've had other failures and other successes. People have opinions, and sometimes they're stronger than others. You just have to keep moving forward.”
Today, Halle Berry has made peace with this period of her life. Moreover, the film is enjoying a second life, far from the media scandals that marked its release. “The younger generations don’t know what was said at the timeshe analyzes. They discover it for themselves and appreciate its merits without being pressured to think in a certain way.”
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She is also proud that in our time, more and more superhero films make room for women: “The goal was to bring women into this space”she maintains. A feminine cultural heritage in which she continues to participate, just like those who have succeeded her in the costume:
“I love discovering the different versions of Catwoman, each woman her version! Like the men who play Batman or Spider-Man, we are a group apart, and I admire each Catwoman I see. I loved the version of Zoe Kravitz ; she always makes me smile. I don't think there's any competition. We all have our own interpretation of this iconic character.”
In addition to this trip through time, Halle Berry blew out the twenty candles of Catwoman with humor, on Instagram, with a series of photos where she poses masked, in the company of two of her cats. “It’s been 20 years today since I had the honor of bringing this iconic character to life.she wrote in the caption of the publication. She will always be close to my heart and I will always be Patience Phillips aka CATWOMAN!”