People who live around Burbank, California may have seen what appeared to be Colin Farrell's Penguin from The Batman in Starbucks. The actor revealed that he entered the coffee shop while wearing full makeup early on in the DC film's production.
The Batman will introduce a wide array of villains, one being Farrell's version of Oswald Cobblepot/the Penguin. While his role in the film will be minimal, the actor is already gearing up to reprise the crime boss in a spin-off series for HBO Max, one that is said to be inspired by classic crime films such as The Godfather and Scarface.
Speaking with Steve Weintraub from Collider, Farrell recalled his first Penguin makeup and prosthetics tests with artist Mike Marino, and how in order to get a feel for the look, he walked into a Starbucks as the villainous character. “The first day we tried the whole thing out, we took it for a drive, a spin metaphorically speaking. We did it in Burbank. It took about six or eight hours. It was a team of ten or fifteen people. And it was really fun," Farrell shared. “I went into Starbucks and ordered myself a very un-Oswald drink, an oat milk latte with two stevia sweeteners. I got a couple of stares but only because it’s such an imposing look. [Designer] Mike Marino did so much of the work for me on this, so much of the heavy lifting."
When Farrell was first cast, many fans were unaware of the amount of prosthetics he would end up wearing for the role and how that would make him nearly impossible to recognize. While Farrell looks to deliver a layered performance similar to the one Danny DeVito brought in 1992's Batman Returns as the same character, it appears Farrell's depiction of the iconic villain seems to be heading down a much darker and more serious path. Farrell and director Matt Reeves look to delve deeper into the character's psyche in Penguin's own series, an idea that Reeves and everyone at HBO Max are thrilled about. Until Farrell's Penguin is explored in greater depth, his character's introduction will surely be an exciting one in The Batman.
The Batman, which is only a few more days away from its long awaited release, will follow the caped crusader in his second year of fighting crime as he is set on a path to unravel a mystery with ties to his tragic past. Presenting a noir-driven, detective side of the character that has not been explored too heavily in previous live-action installments, Reeves and the whole team appear to be bringing a Batman story like no other to the big screen. Joining Farrell's Penguin is Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Paul Dano as the Riddler, Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, and Peter Sarsgaard as district attorney Gil Colson.
The Batman arrives in theaters on March 4 and on HBO Max on April 19, 2022.
Source: Collider/YouTube
