'Batman Returns' was, far and away, one of the strangest comic-book movies ever made and this was partially down to the truly odd relationship between Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman and Michael Keaton's Batman.
The whole skin-tight vinyl / leather-whip thing was incredibly sexualised for its time and even now, for that matter, and was way ahead of the curve compared to other comic-book movies of the era. Given how 'Batman Returns' suffered a major backlash from parents, 'Batman Forever' was more tuned to the Adam West definition of Batman than anything else.
Catwoman at Warners in 1998. Sequel with Michelle Pfeiffer returning. Producer excited. After pitch, exec insisted it needed to be Sarah Michelle Gellar and involve hair-washing scene, then showed me Matrix trailer. #ShareYourRejections
— John August (@johnaugust) August 16, 2018
UPDATE: I found my old pitch and I actually still love it. Dated January 13, 1999. Also, I used to be a double-spacer. pic.twitter.com/mMngeQ2XCt
— John August (@johnaugust) August 16, 2018
A few more paragraphs. #catwoman #shareyourejections pic.twitter.com/Q0gG8CjfMX
— John August (@johnaugust) August 16, 2018
Last chunk for now. This would be about page 10 of the script, had I written it. #catwoman #ShareYourRejections pic.twitter.com/Nfq0Czj8Go
— John August (@johnaugust) August 16, 2018
One more bite. Keep in mind, these were just my own notes for the pitch, thus the many typos (incl “Selena”). These would and should *never* be left behind. #catwoman #ShareYouRejections pic.twitter.com/rCHziIteOK
— John August (@johnaugust) August 17, 2018
Still, a pitch was put together for a sequel-of-sorts to 'Batman Returns' with Michelle Pfeiffer intended to return as Selena Kyle / Catwoman. Screenwriter John August, who wrote 'Corpse Bride', 'Go', and 'Big Fish', shared his pitch from 1998 as part of the Twitter hashtag #ShareYourRejection.
According to August's pitch, the movie would have opened with Catwoman still on the prowl in Gotham City, robbing department stores in the middle of Hallowe'en night, and eventually ending up knocked out and in hospital where she's visited by Bruce Wayne - except she can't remember she was ever Catwoman. The pitch goes on to describe a sort of 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' type story where Selena Kyle finds herself tapping into her broken psyche whenever she's pushed.
It's a fascinating idea and Catwoman has always been a character that could be very easily explored in a way that hasn't been done. Given how David Ayer's 'Gotham City Sirens' will likely include Catwoman, there might yet be a chance to see this come to life.