Revealing the secrets of Anne Hathaway's Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises

BACK in January 2011, it was rumoured that Eva Green and Naomi Watts were cast in The Dark Knight Rises in two lead roles thought to be Talia al Ghul and reporter Vicki Vale.

But that was swiftly contradicted by reports stating it was Anne Hathaway, Charlotte Riley, Gemma Arterton, Jessica Biel, Kate Mara and Keira Knightley who were in consideration.

Putting an end to the gossip, Warner Bros announced later that month that Anne Hathaway had been the actress selected from the list of contenders and that the part she was playing was in fact Selina Kyle aka Catwoman.

The character was a surprising choice because Catwoman is traditionally associated with more camp and flamboyant versions of Batman.

It's easy to remember Julie Newmar and Eartha Kitt's purring performances in the 60s TV series (as well as Lee Meriwether in the show's film spin-off), followed by Michelle Pfeiffer's deliciously vicious portrayal in Tim Burton's Batman Returns, while we all try to forget Halle Berry's portrayal in 2004's much-reviled misfire.

With all those incarnations, it's clear the character does indeed have nine lives and in a studio interview, Christopher Nolan explained how he intended to adapt the fetishistic feline felon for his more realistic Batman world.

He said: "It was crucial that there be a reason for the appearance of the character, not just as Selina but as Catwoman.

"For me, the jumping off point was figuring out how to derive a cat ear shape for her without it literally being a pair of ears. I eventually fixed on an idea of a pair of night vision goggles that would flip up onto her head and almost accidentally form that silhouette.

"Once I had that concept, [costume designer] Lindy [Hemming] and her team were able to realize it beautifully. The idea was that everything that contributes to the iconography of the character has a sense of logic."

Hemming adds: "Her catsuit is also very practical, enabling her to disappear into the darkne...

Read More...
[Source: Coventry Telegraph - The Geek Files]