Stunning ‘Batman Returns’ Catwoman statue Released by Sideshow Collectibles

Hey, stud! Sideshow Collectibles has released pre-order details of the Batman Returns Catwoman statue – surely the most iconic of all interpretations of the character seen on screen.

Although a success on so many levels – financial, critical, and in managing to do the same job that Superman: The Movie had done in bringing a comic character to life – director Tim Burton wasn’t happy with the original Batman movie as he felt restricted by studio demands.

Anyone who saw his subsequent film, Edward Scissorhands, may have wondered what an undiluted Tim Burton would have done with the Batman universe and in 1992 those questions were answered. Burton agreed to direct a sequel in exchange for having far more creative control, making changes that went from his choice of producer, cinematographer, and screenwriter.

The result was a movie that was uncompromising in terms of character design. It was somehow darker and more adult (McDonald’s was infamously upset about the movie they were promoting with Happy Meals), while also more playful and whimsical (Warner Brothers had to step in to insist that the Penguin have a masterplan). While it was criticized for lack of substance regarding the plot, the movie luxuriated in the world of Batman, and the mix of the garish and the gothic, whilst focusing on the characters.

This attention to character design is evident in Catwoman. Selina Kyle begins the movie as a downtrodden, repressed, and nervous secretary, until she stumbles across nefarious plans by her boss, industrialist Max Shreck, and is pushed out of a window. She survives the fall, with the vaguest hint of the supernatural, as she’s surrounded by cats prodding her awake. Having shown early signs of fascination with Batman, Selina flips and designs a catsuit. Rather than a simple good-hearted revenge fantasy, however, the character’s shown to have more depth than that. On her first outing, she rescues a woman from being attacked and then berates her for being pathetic, “waiting for some Batman to save you.”

Burton’s Catwoman is a character caught in an ultimately tragic power struggle of male dominance as Shreck, Penguin, and Batman all attempt to overpower her. It’s a struggle that translated into her look which played up on aggressive sexuality to contrast the character’s transformation. Designed by Bob Ringwood and Mary E. Vogt, the latex was chosen because of its association with the erotic, with a stitched look to reflect the fragile mosaic of Selina’s personality. That extra shine was created when added liquid silicon to the surface. The headpiece and mask, showing just enough of those beguiling eyes, was designed by Vin Burnham.

Michelle Pfeiffer matched this interpretation with her performance, writhing and purring her way through the role with a devilish smile that rivaled Jack Nicholson’s Joker. She became so proficient with the whip that she was able to perform stunts. It’s a role that proved so good that after test screenings of the original cut, the opinion of Catwoman was so favorable that the closing shot of her was added two weeks before the movie’s release.

Now, Sideshow Collectibles has produced a stunningly faithful Catwoman statue that manages to capture the detail, and texture of the costume, a striking similarity to Michelle Pfeiffer’s face, and a pose that replicates the poise and personality of the character.

Sorry Harley, but this is the original sexy and unpredictably dangerous Batman anti-hero. Do you want her, or do you fear her?

The Batman Returns Catwoman statue – hear her roar!

Product details:

Images and Press Release Courtesy of Sideshow Collectibles