5. Catwoman
Halle Berry as the iconic DC Comics antiheroine should have been a no-brainer, but instead the movie arrived as a stunningly awful head-scratcher, indisputably one of the worst films ever made. While we may never understand what went so horribly wrong with Berry’s Catwoman (though Catwoman was inexplicably called Patience Phillips, for starts), there’s still time to revitalize the character, especially after Anne Hathaway’s terrific turn as high-tech cat-burglar Selina Kyle in The Dark Knight Rises.
The first key to success is not to overly objectify the character. Both Catwoman and Marvel property Elektra flopped, in part because fans were turned off by what they saw as overt sexualization and simplification of complex comic-book heroines. Conversely, Hathaway’s Catwoman is both certifiably bad-ass and looks great in a catsuit, with an endless arsenal of quips and acrobatic kicks. She’s the kind of super-heroine people want to see. In fact, casting Hathaway would be the best move a reboot could make, but if she’s off the table, hope is not lost. Start with an origin story set deep in the grimy underworld of Gotham City, and explore a younger Selina Kyle’s journey from the seedy East End to donning the costume.
Work hard on the script, keep it out of the supernatural, and ensure that Catwoman keeps her trademark wit. Cast either an acrobatic unknown who could make the role entirely her own, or go with a charismatic proven quantity like Skins’ Kaya Scodelario, True Blood’s Evan Rachel Wood, or 21 Jump Street’s Brie Larson.
Published: Aug 1, 2013 12:04 am