Colin Farrellhas proven that he is a true man of culture, asThe Penguinstar revealed thathe loves Joel Schumacher’s malignedBatmanmovies,Batman ForeverandBatman & Robin.Farrell is currently dominating our screens as Oz Cobb inThe Penguin, portraying a grittier, more realistic version of the one found in Tim Burton’sBatman Returns. While Farrell’s co-star,Cristin Milioti (who plays Sofia Falcone in the series)has gone on record saying she lovesBatman Returns, Farrell says his Batman tastes lean into the more eccentric.
Batman and Robin
Speaking toVarietywith hisThe Penguincast mates, Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz, and Deirdre O’Connell,Farrell revealed that he absolutely adores Joel Schumacher’s unique and controversial take on Gotham City and Batman’s rogues' gallery.While Tim Burton helped to re-define Batman on the big screen, Schumacher’s movies were partially responsible for killing the character’s reputation and profitability, until our cinematic lord and savior Christopher Nolan saved the day withBatman Begins. But Farrell doesn’t care about the reviews, or the public perception of Schumacher’s movies, sayinghe loves “the ridiculous opera of Joel Schumacher’s Batmans. I really do.“He continued:
“I really enjoy them. And I get why they were slammed at the time, and I also know that Joel did his best.”
But Farrell’s tastes aren’t exclusively reserved for Schumacher’s Batman movies, asThe Penguinstar appreciates every version of Gotham City on the big screen, from the dark and realistic, to the absolutely bonkers. He continued:
“There’s a lot of nostalgia for me around Tim Burton’s ones. And then what Chris Nolan and his team did were extraordinary as well. [Batman] survived multiple iterations. And they’re all so remarkably different.”
Why Are Joel Schumacker’s Batman Movies Hated?
How can anyone actually hate George Clooney ice skating around Gotham in a Bat-suit with rubber nipples, paying for things with his Bat-credit card?It’s easy to look back at Schumacher’sBatmanmovies fondly, with the hindsight knowledge that the character’s cinematic future wassafe in the hands of Christopher Nolan and Matt Reeves.But, for audiences who watchedBatman Foreverand, more egregiously,Batman & Robinwhen they were released, Joel Schumacher was public enemy number one among the DC fan base.
The Batman II Script Is Complete, But DP Greig Fraser’s Return Not Certain
After two years of development, Matt Reeves has finished writing The Batman Part II.
Batman Forever, starring Val Kilmer as Bruce Wayne, introduced the world to Jim Carrey’s eccentric Riddler — decades before Paul Dano would take on the role and terrify audiences with his military mask and beautiful latte art. Despite mixed reviews,Batman Foreverwas a box office sensation, and was the second-highest domestic grossing movie in 1995, behindToy Story. However, Schumacher’s house of cards (Schumacher actually directed two episodes ofHouse of Cards) fell when George Clooney donned the suit inBatman & Robin.
Alongside Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy, and Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze — which transformed one of Batman’s most tragic villains into a campy super-criminal — Clooney’s version of Batman, and almost everything about the movie is hated to this day. In fact, George Clooney still apologizes to fans for the film, and has said that he always will.
New episodes ofThe Penguinwill be released on Sundays on HBO and Max.
