This certainly isn’t news, so don’t take it as an announcement, OK? I’ll post the info and my take as well. Let’s roll with it…
VARIETY‘s Justin Kroll dropped the following two tweets today regarding Matt Reeves’ Batman film, as well as some stuff about the status of DC on film.
First up, was this…
Take this with a grain of salt as things are constantly changing in the DCEU but I’m hearing the Penguin is possibly the choice to play the main villain in THE BATMAN. Sources add even if Reeves decide to go another route the studio could then make him the main villain in BOP
— Justin Kroll (@krolljvar) May 30, 2018
OK, I’m taking it with a grain of salt and I suggest you all do too. But the comment that “things are constantly changing” with DC on film (I now REFUSE to call it the DCEU because that acronym proved to be BS) stands out to me. Why? Because I too have heard that, well, things are constantly changing at Warner Bros. when it comes to DC on film. So before you say, “Well, why haven’t you wrote a story about that on BOF?!”, just know there’s not much of a story when one is simply reporting that things are constantly changing.
As far as The Penguin stuff, I’m neither excited or upset with that possibility. If Reeve’s Batman film is indeed a smaller in scale (as compared to previous Batman films), noir-ish detective film in the vein of SE7EN (or something like that), The Penguin as an Al Capone/John Gotti-ish type of mob boss definitely could work. Plus, I’d like to see a new live-action film version of Oswald Cobblepott so I can finally wash the nasty black goo out of my mouth that was Tim Burton’s take on the character in BATMAN RETURNS.
Now, on to Kroll Bat-tweet #2…
Reeves is still working on the script, so that could always change but of the multiple BIRDS OF PREY scripts submitted, one does have the Penguin as the main heavy. Either way, it seems WB wants this character cast in the universe sooner rather then later.
— Justin Kroll (@krolljvar) May 30, 2018
Yes, we all know that Reeves is still “working on the script;” much to the consternation to the segment of fans who believe (demand?) that he should be filming the damn thing right now. I’m of the mind that the dude can take all the time he needs to make sure the script is damn good and the film will be awesome…but that’s just me. So, I’ve got no issue with that.
RELATED: “It’s Time To Give Batman On Film A Rest” by Bill “Jett” Ramey
However, him saying that “WB wants this character cast in the universe sooner rather than later” does give me pause. I hope like hell that the fine folks in charge of DC on film at Warner Bros. are not, ahem, “strongly suggesting” (demanding?) to Reeves that The Penguin be the big baddie of his Batman movie.
That would be no bueno y’all.
I do think the idea of The Penguin being the big baddie of a BIRDS OF PREY movie would totally work.
The bottom line is that if Matt Reeves wants The Penguin in his Batman film, that’s cool. WB wanting Cobblepott in the film as the main villain and Reeves writing a story around that “want” is not.
And no, I don’t think (hope?) that WB isn’t trying to cross-pollinate between THE BATMAN (or whatever it ends up being called), and the Margot Robbie/Harley Quinn-starring BIRDS OF PREY film. BUT…
If they are, well, maybe they ain’t learned nothin’. – Bill “Jett” Ramey
What do you all think? Post your thoughts in the comments section down below!