Halle Berry reacts to a new Catwoman in a funny video featuring rapper Saweetie. Berry famously played Catwoman in the 2004 solo film, which was a box-office disappointment and a one-off for the actress in the role. Directed by French filmmaker Pitof, Catwoman starred Berry, Frances Conroy, Benjamin Bratt, and Sharon Stone (as the villain). Berry's Catwoman was not the traditional Selina Kyle character, but a new version named Patience Phillips, a mild-mannered woman who is revived by cats when she's murdered, only to inherit their traits when reborn.
The film drummed up $82 million worldwide off of a $100 million budget, sinking any chances for a sequel and putting the character's live-action appearances on ice until Anne Hathaway portrayed her in 2012's The Dark Knight Rises. The next iteration of the character in a feature film will be Zoe Kravitz, portraying the Selina Kyle version of Catwoman for Matt Reeves' The Batman, which releases in 2022. Catwoman continues to be a staple DC character in the comics and has appeared in various TV show appearances, as well as in multiple animated shows and features throughout the years.
Today, Berry shared a video on her Twitter, which features rapper Saweetie wearing the signature Catwoman uniform from the 2004 film and mimicking lines from it. Berry appears in the video, presumably as herself, confronting Saweetie at first, then seemingly welcoming her portrayal. It's a humorous, yet empowering nod to the legacy of her version of Catwoman. While Berry is well aware of the film's failure, she's always maintained a positive attitude about the film and her portrayal. This new video serves as a kind of passing-of-the-torch of that legacy. Check out the video below:
Berry has moved on from her Catwoman stint with grace, continuing a strong career that is about to graduate into new territory with her first directing effort, the MMA film Bruised, which is set for release on November 24th on Netflix. The Oscar-winning actress has starred in the X-Men franchise as Storm, been a Bond girl in Die Another Day, suited up as a Kingsman in Kingsman: The Golden Circle, and recently took up arms with John Wick in John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum. She'll next fight a global threat with Patrick Wilson in Roland Emmerich's sci-fi disaster pic, Moonfall.
Catwoman is almost unanimously attributed to being a cheesy box-office flop, but movies like that tend to take on a new appreciation over time. While it certainly won't ever be regarded as the finest slice of cinema to ever be served up, it does have its charms, which can be much more easily appreciated when box office is no longer at stake. Berry was always perfectly suited for the role, but the execution left a lot to be desired, and the actress has continued to champion what she did with it, regardless of how it was ultimately received. Giving her blessing to another women wearing the costume is a great way for Berry to keep the love alive for the film, which is sure to garner some new views as a result, keeping the conversation alive for her Catwoman adventure.
Source: Halle Berry