Colin Farrell Talks About His PENGUIN Series and Says He Wants To Star in THE BATMAN Sequel
Colin Farrell enjoyed his time playing Oswald Copperpot a.k.a. The Penguin in director Matt Reeves’ The Batman, and he’s excited to jump back into the role! In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, he said that he hopes to start filming his Penguin series for HBO Max soon, in 2023.
The spinoff series will put the focus on The Penguin and follow his rise in the Gotham City criminal underworld. The project has been described as a “Scarface-like” series. This is sure to be a great show, but Farrell is also hoping that his future as the character extends to The Batman sequel as well. The actor would love to star in the sequel.
When asked if he would play Penguin on the big screen again in The Batman 2, he said: “Oh my god, you kidding me?! It’s so much fun, are you joking [with] me? I’ve been around the block man. That was an easy sport, I mean… it was a joy.”
Farrell continued to discuss the sequel, saying: “Matt’s up to his bollocks, you know, hovering over the keyboard and just planning the story because he’s just so meticulous. He’s so obsessive about what he does, but he’s all over [HBO Max’s] Penguin [series] as well. I mean, he’s not gonna direct it but he’s all over the structure of the scripts and who’s gonna direct them. And so, it’s exciting.”
It’s cool to see Farrell so excited about playing this classic Batman villain! He’s very passionate about it. When previously talking about the series, he said: “The world that Matt Reeves created for The Batman is one that warrants a deeper gaze through the eyes of Oswald Cobblepot. I couldn’t be more excited about continuing this exploration of Oz as he rises through the darkened ranks to become The Penguin. Will be good to get him back on the streets of Gotham for a little madness and a little mayhem.”
I’m looking forward to seeing how this Penguin spinoff series turns out. Lauren LeFranc serves as writer and showrunner on the series, and she said in a statement, “I have long been a fan of the world of The Batman, and Matt’s film is such a powerful and bold entry into the canon. I am excited and humbled to continue telling stories in the grimy world of Gotham City – and what better excuse to channel my inner villain than to tell the story of Oswald Cobblepot? I am thrilled to work with Colin, Matt, Dylan, 6th & Idaho, Warners, and HBO Max as we work to bring this story to the screen.”
Reeves added: “Colin exploded off the screen as the Penguin in The Batman, and having the chance to thoroughly explore the inner life of that character on HBO Max is an absolute thrill. Dylan and I are so excited to work with Lauren in continuing Oz’s story as he grabs violently for power in Gotham.”
Everyone seems pretty passionate about this Penguin series, and I have no doubt that the character’s story arc will spill into the sequel that Reeves is currently developing.