New behind-the-scenes footage from The Batman reveals Colin Farrell's physical transformation into The Penguin. Directed by Matt Reeves, the latest take on the Caped Crusader was released in cinemas in March followed by a HBO Max release in early April. The Batman's opening 10 minutes was released on HBO Max's YouTube channel. Eschewing the traditional origin story, instead focusing on Batman's second year of fighting crime, Reeves' story focuses on the detective side of the Batman mythos far more than previous cinematic iterations of the Caped Crusader.
Despite clocking in at a lengthy 176 minutes, The Batman has been well received by fans and critics alike, with particular praise directed towards the cinematography, performances and story. Packed with characters from Batman's rogues gallery, alongside Robert Pattinson's Batman, the film stars Zoë Kravitz's Catwoman, Paul Dano as the Riddler, an almost unrecognizable Colin Farrell as the Penguin, along with a glimpse of Barry Keoghan's take on the Joker. When the first The Batman footage dropped in August 2020, many were surprised to see Farrell's physical transformation. Now, a glimpse as to how that was pulled off is shared.
In behind-the-scenes footage posted by Culture Crave, viewers can see Farrell's transformation for the first time. As Farrell explains in the clip, though the process took "three and a half to four hours", it was "one of the most exciting, jubilant ... experiences" he has had as an actor. Check out the clip below:
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With The Batman's Blu-ray release expected next month, tidbits of the film's production have made their way online. Alongside the clip of Farrell's transformation, a BTS video of Pattinson's extended costume camera test has been released. Though the change in the actors' look is plain in both BTS videos, the change in Farrell's transformation is not merely physical. While the make-up alters Farrell's physical appearance, Farrell's acting skill matches the material transformation as the Irish actor changes his mannerisms, voice and attitude to inhabit this iteration of the classic Batman mobster. Farrell's performance has even drawn praise from one of his Penguin predecessors, Danny DeVito, who portrayed Cobblepot in 1992's Batman Returns.
With a proposed new Batman trilogy, alongside an on-hold Gotham City Police Department series and a series focusing on Arkham Asylum, HBO has ordered a Penguin limited series. Farrell is set to reprise his role and executive produce with the series expected to arrive before a sequel to The Batman hits screens. Though appearing in only a handful of scenes in The Batman, in taking on the lead in the eponymous Penguin series, Farrell looks set to have to spend three to four hours in the make-up chair each morning for the series. It'll be interesting to see whether Penguin's look evolves slightly in the series, and in The Batman sequels, to reduce the time burden on the make-up crew and Farrell.
Source: Culture Crave
