While the Dark Knight sequel casting rumors have flown fast and furious, one of the first was the possibility of Philip Seymour Hoffman as the Penguin, after actor Michael Caine said Hoffman and Johnny Depp would appear as villains in the next film.
Of course, that rumor got shot down fairly quickly by Hoffman himself, who told MTV the next day:
“No one has talked to me about it ever — never. It happened, like, five years ago, too. It was a rumor back then and it’s still a rumor. It’s just in the press. It’s funny… I’m more a fan, so the interest of being in it isn’t that great. It’s more the interest in wanting to see the next one. It’s probably better that way.”
While the rumor had been pretty much pronounced dead on arrival after that, Cinema Blend has a new post up about a possible “makeup test” image with Hoffman as the Penguin. Color me skeptical, as I think this is just a Photoshopped image, but I’ll let you see what it might look like if Hoffman has indeed changed his mind on Batman 3.
[Via Cinema Blend.]
December 31st, 2008 at 10:37 am
Of course this is bogus… Nolan’s not even signed to do a 3rd film yet, and I’m sure he’s planning to do something else before another Bat-flick (just like he did with The Prestige). Again, I’d love to his take on The Prisoner.
Anyhow, as for the “Makeup test” I’m not hot on the freaky look of this “Penguin” as it reminds me too much of the half-man/half-animal look of Danny Devito in the (overrated, IMO) Batman Returns. I don’t think Nolan would come within a mile of that.
If we ever do a get a Penguin from him, it’ll be a more realistic mobster type, and the only reference to “Penguin” will be a code name of some kind, or some thug taking a look at him and saying “Jeez… You dress like a penguin,” or something like that.
December 31st, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Exactly, Shaun. The photoshopper might know how to mess with a photo, but he’s an idiot for thinking that a Penguin in the current series would go the DeVito-style mutant route.
I’d have been much more convinced if he’d just ‘shopped a top hat on his head and a cigarette in a holder in his mouth.
December 31st, 2008 at 8:54 pm
LOL,Batman Returns overrated.A movie has to be highly thought of to be overrated.Always on everybodys hated list and sent the Batman movies down there path of destruction.
Hoffman would be good I think.
January 1st, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Actually, Yawn, while I agree with you that Batman Returns was mostly tripe, not everyone feels that way. I think it was a recent EW list of the best comic movies of all time (before TDK’s release, I think) had both Batman Begins AND Batman Returns on the list. If I recall, some people on this very site were defending that choice of Batman Returns. I don’t agree, but whatever.
I also recall a few critics, in their time, liking Batman Returns more than the 1989 Bat-flick. And there’s always a few Burton apologists in every crowd. Some people will like Burton’s Bat-movies more than the newer ones no matter what great stuff Nolan & Co. come up with.
January 1st, 2009 at 4:30 pm
considering that font hasn’t been used since the crapfest pre-nolan movies, turning the bat-symbol on its side is stupid, the photoshop work is amateurish and we know this thing is noweher near this stage in production, i don’t get why this stuff even gets posted…
January 1st, 2009 at 7:55 pm
It is actually possible to like Burton or Nolan without hating the other, it’s not a hard either/or choice that people are obliged to make. They’re very different and can be enjoyed on very different levels. It must be very dull to have only one way of looking at things.
(Liking *Schumacher* on the other hand, is unforgivable…)
January 2nd, 2009 at 8:32 pm
Oh, I never said people couldn’t like the Burton films… I liked Burton’s first Bat-film in its time. Then I watched the 1989 movie on AMC last summer, for the first time in years. I think it’s aged pterribly, and there were a lot of things I didn’t like about it in the first place. Also, once you’ve seen Christian Bale in action as Bruce/Batman, Michael Keaton seems more like Adam West than he does a serious Batman/Bruce Wayne. He was sleepwalking through the part, and he never looked like Bruce Wayne.
BUT… With all that said, it’s still a watchable movie. I, personally, will probably never watch it again, but it’s still better than a lot of comic book flicks. Superman Returns, for instance. Spider-Man 3 or X3. The Fantastic Four, Punisher and Ghost Rider movies. Howard The Duck. You get the idea. Jack Nicholson was fun as Joker, though I great prefer Heath Ledger’s take. I liked the guy who played Alfred too. But he was no Michael Caine either. I just never believed Keaton, or Pat Hingle as Gordon.
As for Batman Returns, it was the beginning of the goofiness that just exploded on screen in those Schumacher travesties. Those marching penguins.