The Batman producer compares the upcoming spinoff following Colin Farrell’s Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin to Al Pacino’s Tony Montana in Scarface. On top of Robert Pattinson’s caped crusader, Matt Reeves’ The Batman will introduce many iconic inhabitants of Gotham City when it releases in theaters on March 4. The noir thriller follows its hero in his second year as Batman, pitting him against Zoë Kravitz’s Catwoman, Paul Dano’s Riddler, John Turturro’s Carmine Falcone, and Farrell’s Oswald "Oz" Cobblepot.
Where Danny DeVito’s Penguin in Batman Returns was flamboyant and bird-like, Farrell’s iteration of the character is a more grounded Gotham gangster. Ditching his good looks for prosthetics and a fat suit, Farrell's unrecognizable turn as Penguin has attracted a lot of attention during The Batman’s promotional campaign. With Riddler serving as the main villain, Oz doesn't play a huge role in the upcoming film; instead, The Batman is poised to set up a Penguin spin-off series for HBO Max, which was confirmed late last year. While the project currently lacks a title and release window, it is known that Reeves will serve as executive producer, and screenwriter Lauren LeFranc (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) is penning the script.
During an interview with SFX Magazine (via GamesRadar+), The Batman producer Dylan Clark further confirms Farrell’s involvement with the Penguin spinoff. He even compares Farrell's interpretation of the DC villain to Pacino’s equally iconic crime boss, Tony Montana. Check out Clark's full comment below:
We’re doing [a spinoff] with [Farrell], seeing Oz rise to power, almost like a Scarface story... It’s exciting to do something like that just as a standalone, but it speaks to the character and our movie. So that you’ll go back to the movie [and say], 'Oh, I see that backstory there, that line refers to this.'
Brian De Palma’s Scarface stars Pacino as Cuban refugee Tony Montana, who quickly becomes the most powerful cocaine kingpin in Miami, until increased pressure from Colombian drug cartels and the police, an explosive temper, and a handful of bad decisions inevitably lead to his downfall. Farrell has also compared Penguin to Fredo in The Godfather and The Godfather Part II. Oz, like Fredo, has very lofty ambitions, but has always been viewed as lesser by his associates. In The Batman, he has yet to become the Penguin fans know from the comics; he isn’t a boss, or even an underboss. He’s merely a soldier of Carmine Falcone - who will need to start watching his back.
It was previously unknown whether Penguin’s series would take place before or after the events of The Batman. Now, it seems likely it’ll explore his backstory while depicting his violent and manipulative rise to power. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Falcone bite the dust in The Batman, since this would create a power vacuum that could set up both HBO Max spinoffs, including the one focusing on the Gotham City Police Department. Regardless, the untitled Penguin spin-off looks to be an intriguing crime drama hearkening back to gangsters of old.
Source: SFX Magazine (via GamesRadar+)
