Batman fans may have to wait a while before Part II starring Robert Pattinson comes to theatres, but HBO is bringing back Matt Reeves’ version of Gotham in the upcoming spinoff The Penguin starring Colin Farrell as Oz Cobb.
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Farrell had to wear a fat suit and prosthetics to pull of the character for the movie and the series, and now he’s hoping that he never has to put it on ever again.
“I F*cking Wanted it to be Finished.”
Talking to Total Film (via Variety), Farrell opened up about how he eventually grew tired of having to wear the costume for the Penguin and how he was just waiting for production to end so he would never have to wear it again. He says, “Don’t get me wrong – I loved it – but it got in on me a little bit. By the end of it, I was bitching and moaning to anyone who would listen to me that I f*cking wanted it to be finished.”
Though Farrell may have been complaining about the suit, he does say that he tried to explain to anyone he was complaining to that he had ‘grumpy gratitude’ about all of it. It’s not clear if the show would get a second season, but showrunner Lauren LeFranc was said to have asked Farrell to think about reprising the role. “I said, ‘Absolutely.’ And maybe in a year I would. But when I finished I was like, ‘I never want to put that f*cking suit and that f*cking head on again,’” explained Farrell.
Creating the Penguin
Interestingly enough, it does seem that the role of the Penguin got Farrell in a kind of monkey’s paw situation. He did say that he was a bit disappointed that his role in The Batman was limited; so he got the series on Max, but after months of production having to put the prosthetics on, he eventually got tired of having to play the character.
Here’s a look at how complicated the costuming process was for the Penguin:
Besides the body suit, Farrell had to be wearing a multi-layered prosthetic that covered his entire neck and face.
Surprisingly, though heavy prosthetics usually stop actors from being as expressive as they could be, the Penguin look was said to have fully captured Farrell’s performance, and it wasn’t able to hinder his ability to emote as the character.
Rise to Power
Penguin may have been Falcone’s henchman in The Batman, but with the character dying, there’s now a power vacuum that Oz is looking to take advantage of.
A lot of comparisons have been made between this Penguin and Sopranos lead Tony Soprano, so a lot of fans are expecting the show to be like Joker in that it’s an auteur genre with a comic book skin draped over it.
With Reeves onboard, and the character's very original take, The Penguin is sure to captivate comic book movie fans who want a little something more artsy with their genre.
The Penguin premieres on Max on Sept. 19.