I've written far too many words about 2008’s Cloverfield, the cult-classic, found-footage monster romp that reinvented movie marketing for the digital age. But you’re about to read an interview with the director of that movie, Matt Reeves, so I’m sure as hell not stopping now. Not even two minutes after the 58 year-old popped up on Zoom—about a week before the premiere of the HBO series (slash spin-off of his 2022 feature, The Batman), The Penguin, on which he serves as an executive producer—I had to ask about the trailer. Yes, that trailer.
If you’re unfamiliar: Cloverfield’s first preview, which premiered ahead of showings for 2007’s Transformers, didn’t even feature the title of the damn movie. Audiences saw clips of a birthday party from some dude’s camcorder, the Statue of Liberty’s head crashing into the middle of Manhattan, and the release date (1-18-08). The Internet wasn’t yet a place where you could Google answers to this sort of thing; it broke a lot of brains and went viral before you even called anything viral.
“We were still shooting the movie when Transformers came out over the Fourth of July,” Reeves remembers. “So my girlfriend and I went to the [theatre] and we said, ‘Can you let us go in? Because actually there’s a trailer for something that I’m doing.’ And then we went in there and watched the audience respond. It was really cool. But that was so scary for me because we were so early in making the movie. We’re going like, ‘Oh my God, everyone is waiting to see what it is, and we’re still making this movie!’ ”
Fast-forward nearly two decades and—not to criminally breeze past his revered Planet of the Apes trilogy—Reeves has the keys to Gotham. In 2022, he debuted The Batman, which starred Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader. And Mr. Wayne’s notoriously hard-to-please fans...really...loved it? Pattinson flashed Batman’s detective chops, Zoë Kravitz shined as a wonderfully sly Catwoman, and Paul Dano delivered a QAnon Riddler who was downright chilling. In fact, the approval rating for Reeves’s Nirvana-coded Batman universe is so damn high that one of its characters—Colin Farrell’s Oz Cobb, aka the Penguin—is about to enjoy the small-screen treatment. Spoiler: Batman loyalists will love it, too. Its many triumphs include Farrell’s unhinged, Batman-fucked-with-Tony Soprano performance and more time in Reeves’s Gotham, which turns out to be far more intertwined with our world than you’d ever think.
In advance of The Penguin’s premiere on Max, Reeves opened up about his Spielbergian origins, his inspiration for the upcoming Batman Part II, and what the hell possesses Colin Farrell when he becomes Oz Cobb.
This interview, presented in Reeves’s own words, has been edited and condensed for clarity.
When I was a kid, I made 8mm movies, like Spielberg. When I was thirteen or fourteen, I actually met J.J. Abrams because we were in an 8mm film festival—we became friends through that. And then we showed our films at a new art theatre in Los Angeles. And Spielberg, who had that experience as a kid, was like, “I need to see these movies.” So they gave the program to him and he watched it. I heard back from his assistant at that time. She said, “He really enjoyed seeing the films. Thanks.” She called again six months later and said, “We just found all of these 8mm films. Because they’ve been in a hot basement for all this time, they need to be repaired. [Spielberg asked,] ‘Can you get them repaired?’ And I was like, ‘Who’s going to do that?’ He goes, ‘Those kids.’
So the war movie that they’re making in The Fabelmans, that’s Escape to Nowhere. That’s one of the films that we re-spliced together for him. We’re just going, “These are Steven Spielberg’s 8mm films!” And we were these kids. It was mind-blowing.
I was born in ’66. I grew up in a period of American film that really was inspiring. There were a lot of American directors who took other genres and subverted them. Chinatown is really a subversion of a noir. It’s funny, because those movies tremendously influenced me—but I don’t think I ever thought that I would be a genre filmmaker. I started in the vein of thinking that I wanted to be someone like Hal Ashby and make these kinds of sad comedies. My first film [The Pallbearer] didn’t light the world on fire. But it was very personal. When you spend your entire youth as a filmmaker, it’s like a bunch of kids who are getting together and they make their first album. If they’re twenty-five, it really took twenty-five years to make. I spent the first twenty-five years of my life making that first movie, and then that didn’t work. I started having opportunities where I was like, “What would it be if I tried to find a personal way into genre filmmaking?” And Cloverfield was one of those movies where it was like, “Okay, I need this to be about my anxiety. What would I do?”
The intense division that there is right now. On the one hand, you say it’s a thing going on in the United States—and obviously Gotham is an American city—but really it’s worldwide. There’s just tremendous division, the way that the world gets its information, its news. Everybody is in their own silo. That sense of the environment of today, where it’s just very easy for people to be completely separate and at complete odds—that’s definitely one of the things that we’re looking at in Gotham. Some of that is just the way that society is, but some of that is intentional—and to the degree that that’s intentional, and how that fits into the larger picture of what the motivations behind that might be, that’s one of the things that we’re exploring as well.
I always said, we’re going to continue [the Penguin’s] story. Initially, the idea was to continue it in the next film. And then when we were talking about doing shows, I was talking to [The Batman producer] Dylan Clark and [HBO heads] Casey Bloys and Sarah Aubrey. Casey said, “Look, I just want to say, I hope you’re not going to save the marquee characters for just the movies. This is HBO.” And I was like, “Okay, let me tell you what this kind of Scarface-esque story is.” It isn’t his origin story. It’s sort of like Batman’s story—the way that I did it—because there’d been so many origin tales. It’s the early days; it’s the origins of all of the rogues’ gallery characters. Because in the comics, those characters make themselves really in reaction to the arrival of this presence, this masked vigilante. So this is almost like a gangster movie. The idea was to see Oz reach for power in this moment.
Colin is a force of nature. He’s just an incredible actor. And the way [designer] Mike Marino transformed him, that unleashed him. My experience with him in the movie and the show is that I feel like that’s another person. It’s uncanny. There’s something incredible going on. The idea was that then we found [showrunner] Lauren [LeFranc], and we started talking about doing this character study—and to talk about that rise and the obstacles of that. And she came in and pitched the story for the pilot, which I loved. It was so illuminating to Oz’s vulnerabilities.
It’s important to me that all of these characters are doing what they’re doing out of personal motivation. I love the comics, but sometimes there’s an oversimplification. One of the things that I thought that we could do in the movie, and then what we did in the series with Lauren, was to make sure that we were looking into something that felt grounded and real in psychology. Obviously, that’s what Riddler is doing. He thinks he’s doing the right thing. In fact, he’s inspired by this vigilante.
Lauren really was the one in the series who came up with that particular take as it related to Oz. All of it really stems from this idea that his ego is such that he desperately wants to be revered. He desperately wants love. And so that sense of wanting the neighbourhood to revere you is to fill that void of never getting enough love....That’s the idea we’re trying to explore in Batman, too. There’s the simplistic version where he sees himself trying to save the city. But what is it he’s coping with psychologically? What happened to him? It’s funny, as Mattson {Tomlin] and I are finishing writing the second movie, the thing that I always think about is how Batman is not just trying to do something for the greater good. It’s the only way he can make sense of his own life. In a way, it’s saving him.
He’s more of a spectre in the city. I really wanted what we did in the first movie, and what we’re doing in the second movie, to be focused on Batman’s arc. A lot of the other movies, once they do their sort of origin tale—which, of course, is Batman and Bruce’s—then they almost pass the baton over to the rogues’ gallery in such a way that their story actually is the story. But I really want this to continue to be a Batman point-of-view series of movies. So one of the things that was really exciting about the opportunity to do a show was to let it really focus on that rogues’ gallery character and change points of view. The whole movie is done very deliberately from Batman and Bruce’s point of view. The only scenes that aren’t from his point of view are from Riddler’s point of view. And that was done to make you think for a moment: Wait, is that Batman’s or Riddler’s point of view? This was like: What if we could just go down that alley and follow Oz in the wake of what happened in the movie?
I was very conscious about wanting to make the Gotham of The Batman a Gotham that was our world. Even though it’s a fictitious city, the idea was that it would be our Gotham. The interesting thing is: I had been approached before Batman and before Planet of the Apes about other franchises, and I couldn’t do them. I turned them down because I was like, “I don’t know what the way is.” I was really fortunate with Apes and with Batman that those two franchises, I can do something where I can connect personally. And then I’m not handcuffed anymore. I can find a path.
As a producer, I make sure that I’m working with people who have that same kind of personal connection to their work so that it isn’t just the IP. That’s not any judgment. For me, that’s survival....That’s what movies are, right? You go to a movie to have this empathic experience where filmmakers and actors put you in the shoes of people who you are not for a period of time. Then you go and experience it through them in this transportive way. To me, that is the ultimate goal. That's what’s exciting to me about movies.
I just love movies so much. Getting that bug as a kid, expressing myself, and having a place to tell stories, it was really an escape from the craziness of growing up, my family, all this kind of stuff. I just hope that that tradition continues. When I was growing up, movies were so important. And now we have to fight to make sure that movies and streaming content—whatever we want to call it, shows—can connect to people so that the next generation can be just as inspired to tell stories. I just hope that that happens, because I’m excited to see what stories younger people have. I want them to tell it with passion.
Originally published on Esquire US
Colin Farrell was so transformative as the Penguin—yes, that's Colin Farrell under all those prosthetics, if you can believe it—that the actor earned The Batman villain his own spin-off series. Premiering on HBO this fall, The Penguin will showcase the return of nightclub owner Oswald Cobblepot as he seeks to claim Gotham's criminal empire for himself.
To promote the series, HBO is going all out for The Penguin ahead of the show's San Diego Comic-Con panel. The Batman director Matt Reeves, Farrell, and showrunner Lauren LeFranc (Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) are set to unveil a new trailer—alongside a fan event at a recreation of Penguin's Iceberg Lounge. Hopefully, Reeves will also share a bit about the road ahead for The Batman Part II, as well as his vision for the Caped Crusader's franchise moving forward. For everything we know so far about The Penguin, continue reading below.
Following the destruction of Gotham City at the end of The Batman film, the streets remain flooded. However, all that water is perfect for the Penguin. According to Sarah Aubrey, the head of original content at HBO, "The goal of this is to show what Oz’s life is like and that’s very much in the streets of Gotham...As a hustler and a strategist with his own ambitions."
The series stars Cristin Milioti (Palm Springs) as Sofia Falcone, the daughter of recently deceased Gotham kingpin Carmine Falcone (John Turturro). Michael Kelly (Special Ops; Lioness) stars as Falcone underboss Johnny Vitti, and Clancy Brown (John Wick: Chapter 4) appears as gangster Salvatore Maroni. Craig Zobel (Mare of Easttown) directs the first three episodes of the eight-episode series.
No. The Penguin directly follows Reeves's The Batman (2022) starring Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz. Elements of the series will also tie in to the sequel film, The Batman Part II, set for release in 2026. The Penguin has no connection to James Gunn's rebooted DC Universe (DCU). Neither does The Batman or The Batman Part II.
Gunn has his own plans for Batman in the near future, with a film titled The Brave and The Bold, directed by The Flash's Andy Muschietti. Reeves' Batman stories will continue on in their own universe labelled "DC Elseworlds," along with any other DC Comics project not within the official DCU canon. And what about Todd Philips's Joker movies with Joaquin Phoenix? That's a whole different universe as well. Are you with me so far? Because there's more. Reeves is also developing an Arkham Asylum series that Deadline reports is actually included in the new DCU. As Gunn explained on Threads, "He'll be producing stories both within his The Batman universe and within the DCU." Got it!
The Penguin will premiere on HBO and stream on Max this September. HBO has yet to reveal the official release date, though The Penguin's Comic-Con panel will likely reveal the premiere date. If not, at least you might catch a ride in the Penguin's "iconic Purple Maserati." I remember when the Penguin cruised around Gotham in a big yellow duck, but it seems as if times have changed. Maybe we'll at least see some penguins with fireworks attached to their backs.
Originally Published on Esquire US
For a film with a questionable lead, it's kinda enjoyable?
Using the Speed Force, the Flash (played by Ezra Miller) goes back in time to prevent his mother from dying. But that one act of kindness has consequences that are rippled across the timelines.
Just when you think that superhero fatigue has set in, films like The Flash prove otherwise. It's a fun romp that is action-packed and still delivers the pathos. Ezra Miller, whom you've seen in previous films like the Fantastic Beasts series, The Perks of Being a Wallflower and that seven-second clip where Miller grabs a woman by the throat and throws her to the ground, is likeable as a superhero with inadequacy issues.
Despite the controversy around Miller's personal life, their character on screen is charismatic and winsome. When Miller's character interact with his younger self, there's a great distinction between the two Millers' personality that you almost forget that they are played by the same person. Miller is charming so much so that for two hours you're so caught up in the visual effects and story, you forgot that they were arrested and charged in Hawaii with disorderly conduct and harassment for a physical confrontation with patrons at a karaoke bar.
Drawing from the Flashpoint story arc from the Flash comic book, our protagonist discovers that he's able to use the Speed Force and travel back in time. He reasons that if he can do that, he'll be able to stop his mother's murder and exonerate his father who is wrongfully imprisoned for her murder. The movie dives into what happens when we change the past. And as with all time travel films you've seen, the answer is a resounding 'not great'. It is often with the best of intentions that the road to hell is paved.
Stopping his mother's murder has not only affected all that happens from the point of alteration, it has also affected events prior to it as well. Welcome to the multiverse as the Flash's actions splinters from the original timeline into many others thus giving birth to a future escape plan into retconning the DC universe.
In this current timeline, there's a new Batman and Superman never landed in Kansas as a baby. Instead—and this isn't a spoiler as the trailers have already given away—we get Michael Keaton as Batman and Sasha Calle as Supergirl. Keaton's Batman has a special place in my heart on being able to break the campy tone that Adam West had set up. He still has that slight impish twinkle in his eye as he gets to issue beat-downs in his batsuit (hey look, now Keaton can move his head in the Bat-cowl!). Calle looks great as Supergirl and can give Batman a run for his money in the brooding department. She doesn't say much but she commands the scene with equal parts physicality and vulnerability.
There's the pomp and circumstance that you expect with superhero films. The Flash is no different except that in the later half of the film, you get a little fatigued. Action sequences suddenly become flashy (my God, really?) and have no other reason than being a visual spectacle.
And speaking of 'visual spectacle', what is up with the CGI? They look off, like there wasn't enough time for animators to polish it up. According to director Andy Muschietti, the look was intentional because as we are seeing things from the Flash's perspective, light and textures operate differently when the Flash taps into the Speed Force or is time travelling in the Chrono Bowl.
This seems too... convenient. A crew member who worked on the movie had a different take on the CGI and given that The Flash was in development hell, it seems more likely to be a case of a poor "collaboration process between the effects companies and entertainment studios".
Another thing that got our goat is the ending. The big takeaway is that you cannot change the past because that screws up the timeline. The Flash undoes the damage but he still altered the past to exonerate his dad in the present. Of course, the timeline gets affected (again) and I can't help but think that everything the film does was unravelled just to set up that one jokey cameo.
There's something telling about a hero that doesn't learn from their mistake. That even after repeated misdemeanours, they still get to live out their life without any repercussions? What is this? The real world? I watch the movies to escape reality, damn it!
There are cameos galore. Watch out for easter eggs like an Elseworld of the aborted Nicholas Cage's Superman Lives and a realised version of the aborted Back to the Future version with Eric Stoltz as Marty McFly. There's also the staple superfluous end-credit scene and, if you wait long after that, we might see whether Ezra Miller is able to continue their career unscathed.
The Flash is now out in theatres.
The first time that Batman unveiled his aircraft in the comic books, it was called the Batgyro. That name is less of a Greek cuisine and more of a rotorcraft, a vehicle that uses rotary wings to create lift. It was only until Tim Burton's Batman (1989) that the aircraft was termed the "Batwing". It was catchy. So catchy that it carried on into the comics.
Danish toy company and bane of exposed soles, LEGO, released the Batwing model from the 1989 film. Distilled down to 2,363 pieces, the Batwing has a full interior, removable canopy and posable aerodynamic flaps. It almost feels like a real plane but we don't suggest you chuck it in the air lest you want the Batwing to take on another attribute of being killer litter.
The finished product looks gorgeous. Measuring over 11cm high, 52cm long and 58cm wide, you can mount and display the Batwing on your wall like an imposing symbol to superstitious criminals and unruly house pets. It even comes with a Batman, Joker and a Boombox goon minifigures, in case, you want to enact scenes from the movie.
Pity that the Joker minifigure doesn't come with that 'long-barrel' gun.
The LEGO 1989 Batwing retails at SGD359.90 and is available for LEGO VIP members from 21 October and open to the public from 1st November, directly via LEGO Certified Stores.
