Selina Kyle gets an animated adventure unlike any the cat burglar has seen before in DC's anime film Catwoman: Hunted. Directed by veteran filmmaker Shinsuke Terasawa from a script written by Young Justice co-creator Greg Weisman, Catwoman: Hunted follows Selina on a global caper for her latest heist while staying one step ahead of the powerful crime syndicate Leviathan. Fortunately, Catwoman isn't facing this cadre of supervillains alone. Batwoman teams up with the master thief to help Selina survive this gauntlet.
In an exclusive interview with CBR, producer Ethan Spaulding shared the origin story behind DC's feature-length anime film. The Catwoman: Hunted producer also praised the cast and creative team that brought the film to life and called out some of his favorite scenes.
Ethan, how did the origins of Catwoman: Hunted come about? Was it always going to be an anime project? Batman: Ninja had previously opened the doors for that direction.
Ethan Spaulding: That was from the beginning, the idea that this would be an anime. Batman: Ninja started the ball rolling and this was the opportunity to explore a DC character through an anime lens. Let's see a very Japanese take on characters that we know. I think it's a great idea, and with anime super-popular right now, I think this is a good fit.
This movie really does fit in the wheelhouse of classic heist anime like Lupin III as Catwoman goes on a global caper. Were those sensibilities borne from Catwoman and the nature of the project?
It's very retro. You mentioned Lupin III -- that dynamic of a jewel thief being pursued by Interpol -- a lot of that came from Greg Weisman's script. He saw from the get-go that that could have fun in that aspect and it's in the character too. It's Catwoman, we're going to see how see how she operates when she's not in a Batman film.
While Catwoman is definitely front and center, you've got a whole murderers' row of a voice cast and quite the extensive group of characters. How was it assembling them all for Catwoman: Hunted?
Greg's script is the foundation for all of this and the amount of characters he put in -- and some of them are obscure, like Doctor Tzin. Casting-wise, I think we got lucky and the timing worked out. Elizabeth Gillies, in particular, is just perfect. I can't imagine anyone else in the role. But everyone else down the line -- Stephanie Beatriz as Batwoman, Jonathan Banks as Black Mask -- is a murderers' row/ I can just chalk that up to luck and timing because it's all based on who's available, and who can read the script.
With a Japanese director and animation team, what do you think it is about this creative team and animation design that shines a light on these characters in a way Western animators may not have been done?
What you get with the anime versions of these characters is a little more freedom, all-around. Even though it's a dark story, I think there's a sense of fun and playfulness that goes along with Catwoman's personality. The anime aspect is a testament to the DC characters, how they can be interpreted in many different ways by different artists. That's the fun, even in the comic books, seeing how different artists interpret these characters.
As a director and animator yourself, what are some of your favorite scenes and action set pieces in Catwoman: Hunted?
I think the opening scene is a good one and I'm a fan of the car chase. There's a fight on the Eiffel Tower that, when I read the script, was wondering how we were going to do that because of the number of characters [included]. That was amazing for me to see come to life. I think all of the set pieces are great and it reminds me of a 1960s heist film or James Bond or Lupin III. All the set pieces should have that aspect.
You've certainly worked with large casts before but how is it making sure everyone in the ensemble gets their just due and little moments in the film?
It's everything, and I think Greg's script has that baked into it. There's a little ad lib once we get the actors in there. I think we were just lucky to get this great cast. They took it and ran with it and we all benefitted from that [laughs].
You've got quite an impressive cast for Catwoman: Hunted, in particular.
Yeah, sometimes I have to pinch myself. Jonathan Frakes as King Faraday, he's someone I had never met before and it was amazing. It's amazing for me as a fan and then I actually get to work with these artists in these projects. It's great to work with professionals like that. They really bring something to the characters and make this stuff sing.
As you and Greg were crafting Catwoman: Hunted, what was one thing you wanted to be sure to get across that would translate across the anime treatment?
The scope of it, that's the thing. If it's going to be global, we're in many locations for this film, which I think is great with all the different settings you get in this. I think Greg recognized that and he approached it like a film with how they would go to all these different places. The scope is what makes it feel like Leviathan is divvying up the world. When you watch it, it feels like this big operation that Catwoman gets in the middle of.
As someone that's animated and directed plenty of action sequences, including Avatar: The Last Airbender, what is the secret sauce in making a good animated action set piece?
It's a tricky thing! Every time, you try to do something that hasn't been done before. The action in animation has leveled up in the past several years and that's very difficult. It's harder than one might think. In terms of a secret sauce, having Terasawa-san as a director was a secret sauce, getting that anime flavor in the storyboards and vision for the film definitely.
What was it about Terasawa-san and this animation team that made them perfect for Catwoman: Hunted?
The pedigree, Terasawa-san has worked on action anime since the '80s. We were surprised that he was on board and we all benefitted from that. Since Warner Bros. had done Batman: Ninja, we knew this was going to be Japanese animation and this one was going to be 2D -- Batman: Ninja was 3D. This was a chance to do another style of anime and see how it looks in this 2D style.
As someone who's worked on DC characters for years across numerous projects, what do think it is that allows them to endure and stay relevant?
I think the creators of those original comic books really hit on these archetypes. They were great storytellers and these characters hold up through time. They withstand different interpretations by different authors, artists, and filmmakers. I would credit it to the creators of these characters from way back. I think they were on to something and their storytelling instincts were correct.
What are you most excited about getting to share Catwoman: Hunted with the world?
The world-building of it, with the rogues gallery, and the heist aspect of it, and then there's Catwoman herself, getting to see her carry a whole film. That's what I want to share and it's a lot of fun to watch!
Directed by Shinsuke Terasawa, Catwoman: Hunted is available Feb. 8 on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and Digital HD.