RKMBs Forums .::Robegories::. Media Catwoman Movie

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IGN FilmForce reports that Catwoman will begin filming later this spring or in early summer for a 2004 release.

As reported earlier, French filmmaker Pitof will helm Catwoman's big-screen solo adventure with Ashley Judd in the title role with Denise DiNovi on board as producer. The screenplay has been worked on by both Kate Kondell (Valentine) and John Rogers (The Core).

There is a long standing rumor that Owen Wilson may co-star, but whether or not he remains interested in the project is uncertain. According to Entertainment Weekly, Wilson begins filming Starsky & Hutch (opposite pal Ben Stiller) this March.

Catwoman will not be "Selina Kyle" as she is in the DC Comics and was in Batman Returns. Instead, the film follows the tale of orphaned veterinary scientist Patience Price's vendetta against industrialist Simon Church, the man whose corporate assassins "killed" her. Detective Tom Lone is the point man in the police investigation of Catwoman. What Lone doesn't realize is that his prey also happens to be his mousy next door neighbor and prospective girlfriend, Patience Price.

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Originally posted by Kimi:
Oh Lord...I bet Franta's pants are getting tight in the crotch...A Catwoman movie AND she's being played by Ashley Judd??? Franta will be whacking it in the movie theater (probably even at the preview trailers!!!)

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Comics2Film checked out recent rumors that Oscar winning mutant actress Halle Berry had replaced Ashley Judd on the upcoming Catwoman movie project. An inside source tells us that there is some truth to the rumors, although Judd remains the lead actress for now.

According to our person on the inside the producers of the movie are, indeed, exploring the possibility of replacing Judd due to a scheduling conflict. Our source confirms that Berry is a contender for the part but states she's "far from a lock".

Our source also said that there has been a new writer working on the script recently, but would not say who that was. Previous writers included John Rogers (Mage) and Kate Kondell (Valentine).

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Last month, Comics2Film was able to report that the producers of the Catwoman movie were looking to replace star Ashley Judd in the lead role. Additionally, rumored contender Halle Berry was far from a done deal.

Now The Hollywood Reporter breaks the news that Nicole Kidman (The Hours) has been offered the part of the Batman villain-turned-hero. According to the report, Kidman has not accepted and is waiting for the latest draft of the script.

Fans are painfully aware that judicious changes are being made to position the feline fatale for the big-screen. Here's the description of the movie's premise that appeared in The Reporter: "Catwoman is about a cat-loving gymnast who runs an animal-grooming business. While she is a vulnerable woman, her alter ego, Catwoman, is superconfident and fights evil."

The report confirms that French helmer Pitoff will sit behind the camera.

Of course, this wouldn't be Kidman's first foray into Bat-filmmaking. She also played the love-interest to Val Kilmer's Bruce Wayne in Batman Forever.

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Originally posted by THE Franta:
Nicole Kidman!

OOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

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February 19, 2003 - Variety confirms that Ashley Judd will not play the title role in Catwoman after all. The schedule for the Warner Brothers comic book flick conflicted with Judd's starring role in the upcoming Broadway revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Halle Berry had originally been considered to replace Judd but Variety reports that Nicole Kidman is now mulling an offer to star.

Warner Brothers recently greenlit Catwoman based on a "strong rewrite of the John Rogers script by the team of Mike Ferris and John Brancato." They also revised Tedi Sarafian's screenplay for Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. Kate Kondell wrote the original draft of Catwoman.

French filmmaker Pitof will direct Catwoman for producer Denise DiNovi. IGN FilmForce recently broke the news that Catwoman will begin filming later this spring or in early summer for a 2004 release. Variety confirmed our report, adding that the shoot could be delayed until early fall.

The new Catwoman centers on orphaned veterinary scientist Patience Price's vendetta against industrialist Simon Church, the man whose corporate assassins "killed" her. Lake City detective Tom Lone (possibly Owen Wilson) is the point man in the police's Catwoman investigation. What Lone doesn't realize, though, is that his prey also happens to be his mousy next door neighbor and prospective girlfriend, Patience Price.

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In related news, E! Online also claims that "Nicole Kidman has no interest in signing up for three Catwoman movies, and that's the current stumbling block for the feline flick." That three-picture deal sounds suspiciously like the major obstacle facing Warner Brothers' other comic book film, Superman.

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Back in January Comics2Film was able to report that Oscar winning action star Halle Berry ("X-Men", "James Bond: Die Another Day") was a contender to replace Ashley Judd as the lead role in the "Catwoman" movie. At the time Berry had not signed on and later Nicole Kidman was also said to be a contender.

Now Variety reports that Berry has emerged as the likely star of the "Batman" spin-off. She hasn't signed on the dotted line yet, but her people met with Warner Bros. people yesterday and she's expected to sign soon.

Berry is no stranger to the superhero genre, having played Storm in "X-Men" and the upcoming "X-Men 2." She also played an American spy named Jinx in "Die Another Day," a role that's led to talk of a spin-off featuring that character.

French filmmaker Pitof ("Vidocq") will direct "Catwoman" from a script by John Rogers, Mike Ferris and John Brancato. Denise Di Novi is producing. Cameras are expected to roll later this year.

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Director Pitof, who is helming the upcoming Catwoman movie, told French magazine Allocine that the Halle Berry movie will have little to do with previous incarnations of the DC Comics character, according to a translation posted on the Superhero Hype Web site. "It's always difficult when you have such an icon or symbol, but everything is going to be different," he said.

Pitof added, "There will be no direct link with Batman, nor will there be Batman-esque imagery, and it won't be set in Gotham City. The story will be different, and the costume will be different. We aren't keeping anything from Catwoman except the original idea: the character. The idea is to begin her story from scratch, and possibly begin a franchise."

Pitof said that the movie is still in development. "We have Halle Berry interested in starring," he said. "Things are moving ahead, but I really can't tell you much more. The script isn't finished yet, and things are still a bit crazy. We hope to start filming in fall 2003 for a summer 2004 opening at least."

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"It's always difficult when you have such an icon or symbol, but everything is going to be different," "We aren't keeping anything from Catwoman except the original idea: the character. The idea is to begin her story from scratch, and possibly begin a franchise."

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Pitof added, "There will be no direct link with Batman, nor will there be Batman-esque imagery, and it won't be set in Gotham City. The story will be different, and the costume will be different. We aren't keeping anything from Catwoman except the original idea: the character.

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The Hollywood North Report Web site has posted a rumor that the DC Comics adaptation Catwoman is set to begin shooting on Sept. 1 in Vancouver. The production is reportedly scheduled to run through Dec. 31, 2003, the site said.

Michael Fottrell (2 Fast 2 Furious), Sara White and Ed McDonnell are attached to executive produce, while Denise Di Novi (Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns) will produce. Visual-effects wizard Pitof (Alien: Resurrection, City of Lost Children) has been signed to direct. This will be only the second film for the novice director, whose previous effort was the stylish, esoteric French film Vidocq.

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Originally posted by Ultimate Jaburg53:

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"It's always difficult when you have such an icon or symbol, but everything is going to be different," "We aren't keeping anything from Catwoman except the original idea: the character. The idea is to begin her story from scratch, and possibly begin a franchise."

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Guess what frenchy you dump all that shit guess what you got? A completely different character with the same name as a famous character.

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Pitof added, "There will be no direct link with Batman, nor will there be Batman-esque imagery, and it won't be set in Gotham City. The story will be different, and the costume will be different. We aren't keeping anything from Catwoman except the original idea: the character.

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You think maybe the things you are cutting away from Catwoman may just be part of what made her character succesfull and intreging for the past fourty fucking years?

You should change the name of the film and the character.

This sort of bullshit happens all to often. More times than not it's a comic book adaption.

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A reliable industry source who has scooped Coming Attractions in the past has said that Warner Bros. may be close to pulling the plug on its CATWOMAN feature film. Actress Halle Berry is attached to play the adventurous costumed heroine.

Our informant doesn't know specifics but they've told us about numerous industry developments before they've broken publically, such as Warner's decision to move the production of TERMINATOR 3 from lensing in Vancouver, Canada to Los Angeles instead. "It's stillborn," was what they cryptically told us about what's happened with CATWOMAN.


On the surface it still appears as business as usual. The CATWOMAN production still has an active production office phone number and remains pencilled in for a September start of filming in Vancouver. Whether that information will change in the weeks to come remains to be seen, but as we mentioned, our source has been privy to these kinds of decisions before they are publically announced.


For now take our scoop as an unconfirmed rumor that comes from good sources. If the studio has terminated its CATWOMAN movie this is the first anyone's heard of it.


[Anonymous wonders why Warners can't seem to pull the trigger on their superhero movies.]

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Reliable sources have advised IGN FilmForce that while Warner Brothers' Catwoman movie isn't dead, the feeling held by many insiders is that the project is turning into a ticking bomb. Warner Brothers executives are said to fear that they might have a Hulk-sized fiasco on their hands (i.e., a big, expensive comic book movie directed by an artsy director that results in a disappointing bore).

To give you an idea of how reliable our sources are, they provided us with our past scoops that Pitof would helm the film and that Ashley Judd wasn't a sure thing for the title role. Both claims proved true.

According to our sources, one of the biggest obstacles facing Catwoman now is its script. Ed Solomon's latest draft has been described to IGN FilmForce as dull, pretentious, charmless, unfunny, and lacking an understanding of the title character and her lore.

Our sources also claim that some studio executives are worried that the hiring of French filmmaker Pitof to helm one of their major tentpole releases – and his first American feature – may have been misguided. They apparently fear that Pitof's interpretation will prove too artsy and European for American audiences and comic book fans. Pitof had brought onboard several other French crew members, including his production designer and cinematographer. Several members of the Catwoman production team are said to have been dismissed because the project had become too European in its sensibilities.

The executives are also concerned because the original Catwoman character, Selina Kyle, will apparently have a supporting role (it could be as small as a cameo) in the next Batman film, which will be directed by Christopher Nolan and scripted by David Goyer. (This confirms a rumor reported earlier by Batman on Film.) This is a conflict because Warner Brothers doesn't want to cross-pollinate their film franchises. This was one of the many reasons why Batman vs. Superman eventually bit the dust (in a very messy and publicized manner), and why the Dark Knight hasn't appeared in any of the recent Catwoman drafts.

I can imagine how Warners might respond to this story: they'll deny it and then ask us to remove it. Just remember the following FACTS. Rumors about Batman vs. Superman falling apart panned out. Ditto the dropping of McG as the director of Superman in favor of Brett Ratner. Ratner's subsequent departure was vehemently denied for ages but ultimately proved true. Please bear all this in mind the next time that the studio denies a report published online.

Catwoman may not be dead or stillborn but there doesn't seem to be much joy within the production. Nevertheless, Catwoman will apparently be made. Warners simply can't sit on the sidelines any longer while Marvel Studios rides the comic book movie bandwagon. Whether or not Catwoman should have been made, however, is a matter we will have to debate in the future. Catwoman is scheduled to begin filming mid-September in Canada.

In related news, Catwoman star Halle Berry appeared at this past weekend's San Diego Comic-Con and advised the crowd that the film is "absolutely independent" of the Batman franchise, according to Dark Horizons. "I think we're going to try new things with the costume, I think it'll be something that you haven't seen before," said Berry, "and because it really is her story about how she became Catwoman, she's not just a sidekick in a Batman movie now – its really her journey, I think you'll learn some interesting things about the character for people who don't know much about how she came about."
-- Stax

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IGN FilmForce has learned from reliable sources – and was able to confirm with Warner Brothers – who the two frontrunners are for the male lead opposite Oscar-winner Halle Berry in Catwoman. We have confirmed that Josh Lucas (last seen as villainous Glenn Talbot in The Hulk) is in the running to portray police detective/love interest Nick. There are other actors being considered as well, including Benjamin Bratt (formerly of TV's Law & Order).

Some sources referred to Lucas as the studio's "favorite" but Warner Brothers didn't characterize him that way.

Nick was previously known as Tom Lone in earlier drafts of the screenplay. He has consistently been portrayed as an amiable, rough around the edges detective. One draft described him as a former Gotham City cop who had tangled with costumed criminals. (Catwoman does not take place in Gotham but in another ficitional metropolis.) In any case, Nick falls for the mousy Patience Price (Berry) who also happens to be his quarry, Catwoman.

More details about Nick can be found here.

Catwoman begins filming in mid-September in Vancouver for a summer 2004 release. Pitof will direct from a screenplay last worked on by Ed Solomon. Denise Di Novi (Batman Returns) will produce.

Josh Lucas' credits include Sweet Home Alabama, American Psycho, The Deep End and A Beautiful Mind. Benjamin Bratt was in Abandon, Pinero, Red Planet and Clear and Present Danger.

-- Stax



Josh Lucas.....................Benjamin Bratt

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