The next chapter of The Batman saga is almost here, with The Penguin set to debut on HBO in September. The new limited series will revolve around Colin Farrell’s Oswald Cobblepot / The Penguin, and the cast and crew of the series descended on San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday to preview what that entails. Here’s what you need to know about The Penguin’s San Diego Comic-Con panel!
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Moderator Josh Horowitz introduces the cast and crew, including Colin Farrell who is appearing remotely.
Reeves says the script for The Batman was getting so long, he had the idea for a limited series. He calls is “The Batman epic crime saga.” He is still amazed by what Farrell looks like out of makeup because he barely sees it. At one point, Farrell suggested Reeves himself should play the character. Makeup artist Mike Marino helped put the prosthetics together to help seal the deal on the casting. The journey of Oz rising to power in the power vacuum ultimately became a show. Development happened while The Batman was being finished and showrunner Lauren LeFranc had a great pitch.
Farrell was inspired by Burgess Meredith and Danny DeVito’s Penguins. He was humbled and excited to enter the world of Gotham. He talks about the initial reactions to the makeup. He talks about working on The Batman and being pitched the spinoff while filming Banshees or Inesherin. He was “baffled” by how brilliant LeFranc’s pitch for The Penguin was. He’s a “tasty” disaster of a character.
LeFranc was thrilled by the challenge of trying to find a personal connection to such a wild character. She was inspired by a real-life mayor who was corrupt, but still helpful to the community. She wanted to embrace Farrell’s comedic timing and warm audiences up to the character.
The series begins a week after the events of
Cristin Milioti watched the movie repeatedly, and only briefly read the comics, instead prioritizing the world of the franchise. She had an incredible time. She used to imagine playing in the world of Gotham as a kid, imagining that she was Riddler’s daughter or someone evil.
There might not be a definitive hero in this story. Reeves says the show finds empathy for the characters even as they do unspeakable things. He argues they are “custodians” of these characters who want to say something new in a brief amount of time. They wanted to see every character through different lenses.
Farrell doesn’t disagree with the sentiment that a bigger actor could have been cast as Penguin. He also shouts out Robin Lord Taylor for Gotham. He praises the practical effects, especially in the ever-changing industry. He says he shares the character 50-50 with Marino. Marino thought Farrell had the best canvas for prosthetic makeup. He looked at injured birds with shredded beaks to inspire the facial prosthetics. It ultimately led to an “extremely charming” gangster with a realistic face. The makeup was done about 80 times.
Rhenzy Feliz teases his new character, Victor, a streetwise kid whose life is changed after meeting Oz. He says he got used to being around Farrell in the prosthetics.
Sofia and Oz’s relationship has a “long history” and there might be flashbacks to the earlier stages of their relationship. Something happened between the two of them that leads to instant tension. They’re both scrappy fighter and the argument between them will impact Gotham going forward. Their relationship is a dance on a razor’s edge, while Oz and Victor’s is like an upside-down version of Batman and Robin.
LeFranc praises the crew for enduring two strikes over the course of the show. There will be a lot of Gotham in daytime, “daytime noir.”
Reeves says the ending is incredible and helps set up Oz’s role in The Batman Part II.
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Image Courtesy of Max
