As Marvel and DC continue to dominate the superhero landscape, of course, not every project they’ve released over the years has hit the mark. In the early 2000s, a loose DC adaptation came to life and soon became known as one of the worst superhero movies ever, though it has since developed a cult following. That pic is the Halle Berry-starring Catwoman, released in the U.S. by Warner Bros. Pictures on July 23, 2004, and met with critical and commercial failure. Over two decades later, it has found its way to a new streaming home, just in time for the New Year.
Catwoman has become available to stream on HBO Max as of January 1, 2026. In addition to Berry, who portrayed the title character, the film starred Benjamin Bratt, Lambert Wilson, Frances Conroy, Sharon Stone, Alex Borstein, the late Michael Massee, Byron Mann, and Christopher Heyerdahl. Pitof served as director, while the script was written by John Rogers, John Brancato, and Michael Ferris, from a story by the latter duo alongside Theresa Rebeck. Denise Di Novi and Edward L. McDonnell produced.
In Catwoman, Berry stars as Patience Phillips, a shy and sensitive graphic designer for Hedare Beauty, a mammoth cosmetics company. She soon discovers a conspiracy within the company that involves a dangerous product that could cause widespread health problems. After being discovered and murdered by the conspirators, Patience is revived by an Egyptian mau cat that grants her cat-like metahuman abilities, allowing her to become the crime-fighting superheroine Catwoman.
‘Catwoman’ Is One of the Worst Superhero Movies Ever
As a major critical disappointment, Catwoman holds an 8% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 195 critic reviews. “Halle Berry is the lone bright spot, but even she can’t save this laughable action thriller,” the consensus notes. Even the audience rating isn’t much better; 18%, with several remarking that the superhero film wasn’t executed well. Additionally, Catwoman received seven Golden Raspberry Award nominations, winning for Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Actress (for Berry), and Worst Screenplay. As for its box office performance, it was a financial disaster, grossing $40.2 million in North America and $42.2 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $82.4 million against a production budget of $100 million.
Catwoman streams on HBO Max now. Stay tuned to Collider for the latest news.
- Release Date
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July 22, 2004
- Runtime
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104 minutes
- Director
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Pitof