CATWOMAN

Catwoman

• 
  Rate Movie

  [Total: 32 Average: 1.5]
  Genre(s): Action

• Directed By: Pitof
• Written By: John Brancato, Michael Ferris, John Rogers
• Release Date: July 23, 2004
• Domestic Distributor: Warner Bros
• Cast: Halle Berry, Benjamin Bratt, Sharon Stone
• 

---

Box Office Info:

Budget: $100 million	Financed by: Warner Bros; Village Roadshow
Domestic Gross: $40,202,379	Overseas Gross: $41,943,000

“First of all, I want to thank Warner Brothers. Thank you for putting me in a piece of sh-t, god-awful movie.”
–Halle Berry accepting her Razzie award for Worst Actress

“It was a sh-t movie”
–co-writer John Rogers

The Catwoman project began development after Batman Returns (1992), with Michelle Pfeiffer set to reprise her role and Tim Burton interested in directing, but it never materialized.  The property remained dormant until 2001, when Ashley Judd was considered for the role, but that also never made it before the cameras.  In March 2003, Warner Bros signed Halle Berry as Catwoman and this legendary ‘piece of sh*t, god-awful movie’ quickly went into active development.

Halle Berry received $12.5 million against 10% of the gross, but did her career no favors by starring in this humiliating fiasco.  Warner Bros and Village Roadshow financed Catwoman for $100 million and this camp garbage continued the lack of quality control given to the Batman properties, which was thought to have reached it nadir with Batman & Robin (1997).

Catwoman was meant to launch a franchise for WB and the studio heavily marketed the picture and landed numerous corporate partners who tossed good cash at this bad movie.  WB presented this ridiculous film as a high class picture to the corporate world and had many high priced valuables tied-in with Catwoman.  There was Jaguar, Kay Jewelers and Diamond Trading Co.  Diamond Trading was willing to shill so much for Catwoman, that the filmmakers added a scene for the company’s ‘The Right Hand Ring’ — where Catwoman puts a diamond ring on her left hand, then reconsiders and moves it to her right hand.  F-cking shameless.  If any wealthy individuals out there were inspired by this movie to buy any of those items, just buy out this website for the price of a high end Jaguar.  Other partners were Allied Domecq’s Kahlúa, Eastman Kodak, Coca-Cola and more.

Along with the expensive marketing campaign, WB set Catwoman for an exclusive IMAX release, but poor test screenings sent the film back for last minute reshoots and the picture could not be remastered for IMAX in time for its release.  Despite high audience awareness, Catwoman had very poor buzz.  It was dated for the prime summer slot on July 23, 2004 and bowed against The Bourne Supremacy.  Reviews were atrocious and Catwoman would also have competition from holdover summer fare I, Robot and Spider-Man 2.

Catwoman was booked into 3,117 theaters to nationwide ridicule and opened with a weak $16,728,411 — placing #3 for the weekend led by Bourne.  The film took a second weekend nosedive 61.5% to $6,445,488 and fell 55% in its third frame to $2,901,301.  The domestic run closed with $40,202,379.

The expensive film performed poorly overseas, inline with its domestic gross and cumed $41.9M.  The worldwide gross was $82.1M.  WB would see returned about $45.1M after theaters take their percentage of the gross — which would not cover even half of the global P&A costs and the theatrical receipts would not touch the budget.  Co-financier Roadshow distributed in their home country Australia to a miserable $1.9M and it posted a huge loss for Roadshow.  In their investor relations report, the estimated earnings of future potential hits Ocean’s 12, Miss Congeniality 2, Constantine and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, would not be able to cover the losses incurred from Catwoman.  Roadshow then sold off 50% of its stake in a mall advertising business called Eye Shop, to help offset the loss.