When Tim Burton announced that Catwoman would be the main antagonist of his second Batman film, the role quickly became one of the most desired in Hollywood. Raquel Welch, Bridget Fonda, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Cher, Madonna, Ellen Barkin, Susan Sarandon and endless others were all in competition for the part. Annette Bening was eventually cast as Catwoman after Burton saw her performance in The Grifters, but she dropped out due to pregnancy. On the making-of featurette for the film the director explained:
Really close to shooting, maybe a couple of weeks before, I got a call one morning and there was a long pause on the phone and she said she was pregnant. Ive never had such a split, mixed feeling I was extremely happy for her but dropping down a dark abyss at the same time.
Of course, once Bening dropped out, the floodgates were once again open. Michelle Pfeiffer would be the last one standing to don the tight-fitting leather and whip.
Jesse Gumbarge is editor and chief blogger at JarvisCity.com - He loves old-school horror films and starting pointless debates. You can reach out at: JesseGumbarge@JarvisCity.com
