Michael Caine Confirms Johnny Depp -The Riddler, Philip S. Hoffman - The Penguin???

fluffyVW

Don't know if this has been posted already sorry if it has!!! I'm surprised its not...



Taken from SlashFilm.com

We’re pretty sure some type of “clarification” will be sent out shortly regarding the following statement from Michael Caine, but for now, it’s the first confirmation from someone involved in the Batman franchise about new villains and casting choices. And it’s HUGE. The ubiquitous rumors about Johnny Depp as The Riddler and Philip Seymour Hoffman as The Penguin will undoubtedly escalate after this. Here’s what Caine told MTV’s Splash Page…

“I was with [a Warner Bros.] executive and I said, ‘Are we going to make [a sequel to The Dark Knight]?’ They said yeah. I said, ‘How the hell are we going to top Heath? And he says ‘I’ll tell you how you top Heath — Johnny Depp as The Riddler and Philip Seymour Hoffman as The Penguin.’ I said, ‘****, they’ve done it again!’” [Laughs]

Caine seemed to reiterate his certainty, confirming that he’d also read the rumors in the British tabloids and that “[Warner Bros.] already got [Depp and Hoffman] in mind.” Make of this what you will. Director Christopher Nolan is on vacation and hasn’t publicly stated any storylines or details for a sequel or even confirmed that he’s making another Batman film. Though, he’s long expressed his vision as a trilogy. Caine confirms that he hasn’t spoken with the director about a third installment.


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Just seen this...

Yesterday Michael Caine, told MTV that a Warner Bros. exec had mentioned Johnny Depp for The Riddler and Philip Seymour Hoffman for The Penguin in Batman 3, enlightened movie bloggers posted, podcasted, Twittered, filmed and pissed in snow diatribes like: “Enough!” “We have standards!” “This is bull****, don’t get me started on Big Willie for Capt!” “I’m not going to mention it, but I am mentioning it, clever, innit?” Fitting then that MTV decided to ask Senor Hoffman what the deal is at the TIFF (not at the tres ghetto VMAs)…

“No one has talked to me about it ever — never,” replied Hoffman. “It happened, like, five years ago, too. It was a rumor back then and it’s still a rumor. [laughs] It’s just in the press. It’s funny.”

Taken from SlashFilm

Well it would have been cool!!!

Still Johnny Depp hasn't said anything about not playing the Riddler.... Yet... :P

humanji

I hope to god this isn't just a rumour. I think they're both fantastic actors and I'd love to see how the characters would be changed to fit into these darker Batman films.

Heisenberg.

This post has been deleted.

jebuz

Johnny Depp as the riddler, now there's an interesting prospect. Given his ability to adjust to any character thrown his way in the past, you can't see him failing here. Even still, Heath is a tough act to follow and there will be pressure on Johnny to pull it off, presuming, of course, this isn't a rumour

grames_bond

i'm actually not that excited with this news....ok well i loved hoffman in charlie wilsons war so im not talkin about him! i just dont kno about depp as the riddler, i have a bad feeling he'll be doin jack sparrow mark 2.....i really hope i am proven wrong tho!

ziedth

grames_bond wrote: »

i'm actually not that excited with this news....ok well i loved hoffman in charlie wilsons war so im not talkin about him! i just dont kno about depp as the riddler, i have a bad feeling he'll be doin jack sparrow mark 2.....i really hope i am proven wrong tho!

Nolan would never let that happen,

I really hope its true. Two first class actors and Hoffman was a great badguy in MI3 in an otherwise poor film. Johnny Depp I believe would take this very seriously. I'd love to see the slant taken on the two characters.

Ay Cee

I read this a few months ago in Empire as their wish list. It was talking about old scrapped Batman movies and future ones. They're first choice was PSH as Penguin. This was before TDK was complete. So whether they had the first inside scoop or everything else has sprung from that.

vedd44

i think psh wud be a amazing villian but how would they bring a character like the penguin into the ''new gotham'', so to speak. they have to reinvent the penguin which i hpe they do, i agree that christopher nolan wouldn let depp do a jack sparrow characther for the riddler but depp will really have to be on form to top ledgers performance!

aidan_walsh

Or, Michael Caine has seen the surge of internet rumours and has decided to **** with everyone.

grames_bond

vedd44 wrote: »

depp will really have to be on form to top ledgers performance!

i think we are all in agreement that no matter how brilliant a performance depp is capable of pulling out of the bag....he is NOT going to top ledgers performance!

zAbbo

grames_bond wrote: »

i think we are all in agreement that no matter how brilliant a performance depp is capable of pulling out of the bag....he is NOT going to top ledgers performance!

I'm not so sure, I haven't seen a brilliant performance from Depp in over 10 years, Ed Wood, Donny Brasco, Edward Scissorhands - the rest of been lacklustre and frankly - annoying.

I really really hope they don't cast Depp

grames_bond

zAbbo wrote: »

I'm not so sure, I haven't seen a brilliant performance from Depp in over 10 years,

Exactly, so no matter how good he does manage to do it.....it will NOTR top heath! (my point)

Creature

aidan_walsh wrote: »

Or, Michael Caine has seen the surge of internet rumours and has decided to **** with everyone.

I really hope this is true. *crosses fingers*

The Penguin is a poor character IMO and there are plenty of villains that haven't been used yet in Batman films that could be brought out for a third film.

Driver 8

Hoffman work's fine for me, but i was hoping for Casey Affleck for the Riddler

View Profile

I think I remember reading somewhere that Christopher Nolan said he wouldn't make a movie using the character of penguin.

The Johnny Depp rumour seems true however.

Not The Real Scarecrow

Rumour...Rumour...as it has been stated a million times on loads of websites, there will be no announcements about a sequel for at least a year.WB are giving Nolan the option to do a third but he is not signed up for it, he has a year to decide or something like that and has stated before that if there was going to be a third directed by him it would follow the story of the joker and possibly catwoman, however he would not....repeat not introduce characters that have been done in previous movies.The Riddler and the Penguin are ****e characters any way that would not fit in with the Dark Knight world(maybe the Penguin at a push).The only way I could see him introduce these character would be to finish off the Long Halloween arc that he has adapted into the last two films so far, and continue it by getting rid of the gangsters in Gotham who would be replaced by the supervillians.

grames_bond

Meatwad wrote: »

Rumour...Rumour...as it has been stated a million times on loads of websites, there will be no announcements about a sequel for at least a year.WB are giving Nolan the option to do a third but he is not signed up for it, he has a year to decide or something like that and has stated before that if there was going to be a third directed by him it would follow the story of the joker and possibly catwoman,.

this worries me as i really really hope the rumour of depp playin the joker in the new one is total BS! he would ruin it imo! (heath did such a good job of it unless they changed the character slightly -jokers apprentice or something stupid like that, depp would have to play it like heath did, and he wont be able to!)

Pigman II

Hoffman would do a good job but I don't want Depp anywhere near this franchise :mad:

lostexpectation

so how are the riddle and penguin portrayed in the moore and darker comics and how will nolan play em?

Full_Circle

Pigman II wrote: »

Hoffman would do a good job but I don't want Depp anywhere near this franchise :mad:

No come on, seriously........when did Depp become a less than credible actor? And why would any of his subsequent roles be styled or affected by another character he played?

I have no problem with either actor playing their respective roles. However, I do have a problem with this running theme of multiple villains in the one movie. Are the writers incapable of conjuring up a story based on just a single antagonist? Or is it that they feel that audiences will be bored by having just ONE villain for the hero to foil............

Nevyn

http://community.livejournal.com/scans_daily/5838524.html#cutid1

Not The Real Scarecrow

lostexpectation wrote: »

so how are the riddle and penguin portrayed in the moore and darker comics and how will nolan play em?

Penguin is basically a kind of aristocrat gangster while the riddler is a bit of a scrawny coward that just likes riddles.Of course it varies from writer to writer but that is the typical kind of portrayal of them in the Long Halloween.Both characters aren't really massive in the comics as most fans I don't think really like either too much.These are old characters that most people just know because of the 60's series, but there are so many better more modern characters in the comics.

FionnMatthew

I'm presuming these rumours are true. Because these rumours don't say that those actors are going to be in the next Nolan Batman, if there is such, because the rumours explicitly state that it's only a studio executive speculating off the top of his head about how the next movie should be.

So even if the text were true, the only state of affairs that would actually obtain would be the fact that some nameless studio exec really, really desperately wants Depp and PSH in the next Batman, and that it is his (worthless, banal) opinion that that would be a good artistic decision.

And so... yes. This has already been up here. Countless times, in numerous (less faithful iterations) of the facts.

And what we get, is nothing more that yet more wishful thinking and needless hyperbolizing on the part of greedy business men. None of this has any bearing on whether there will be a sequel, and if there is, what its content will be.

To be honest with you, I'd like nothing more than that Nolan procrastinates on purpose until the rights to Batman expire for the studio or something, and the next Nolan Batman never gets made. Because nothing abuses my sense of propriety more than a philistine studio executive running his mouth artlessly with only cash on his mind.

May this never, ever, happen. Just to spite these greedy, rumour milling, feckless fools.

johnny_ultimate

As long as they don't cast Cher as Catwoman, I think I'd welcome any alternatives (as long as they avoid the more outlandish films - The Mad Hatter, Mr Freeze, Poison Ivy: all comic book villians who really should stay that way). I think with a lot of effort The Penguin and the Riddler could be done, since Nolan has a knack for such things.

What I'm more interested in is where they will bring the Batman story next... ignoring villians, the next film will have to be about further character development. Two Face was perfect for the Dark Knight, Harvey Dents downfall a fantastic parallel with Bruce Wayne, and the Joker a true threat. They need to get characters who will match up to this, and not just have a token villian. I think the Riddler could work with his riddles illustrating Batman's growing intelligence and ingenuity, but we will see.

In the end, until Nolan and co have sat down and thought it out fully they probably shouldn't announce anything. The Joker was hinted at in Batman Begins, kind of implying where they'd go next. No such hints in the Dark Knight, so probably a while to wait yet. Lets hope the studio don't force anything now (perhaps I'm overestimating the influence Nolan has).

eagle eye

Just reading this now, and if its true that both actors are in the next Batman, its exciting times ahead. Depp is an outstanding actor, as is PSH.
On the earlier point that he could not outdo the late Heath Leger, I'd have to agree with that as I don't think its possible to beat that performance.
Nolan makes great movies so I'm sure he will come up with some way to include these characters if he so desires and with the darkness and intelligence that we all crave.

Of the characters that are being bandied about, I'd like to see Depp as some type of Riddler, but I'd prefer Hoffman as Black Mask one of the real bad guys who could be very dark. Of course if Black Mask is in the movie, then its most likely we will see Catwoman as well. I know who'd I'd like as Catwoman and thats Rhona Mitra.

Mr E

PSH ain't the Penguin... he has officially denied it.

“No one has talked to me about it ever — never,” replied Hoffman. “It happened, like, five years ago, too. It was a rumor back then and it’s still a rumor. [laughs] It’s just in the press. It’s funny.”

http://www.themovieblog.com/2008/09/hoffman-confirms-he-is-not-the-penguin

FionnMatthew

Of course it's just rumour.

The source article explicitly says that it's just a movie exec talking off the top of his head.

He's saying "How could we top the last one? Here's how we top the last one."

It's no different from people wishful thinking on Boards. It's just because he's a movie exec that everyone suddenly thinks that his wishful thinking is a confirmed casting decision.

He never even said that these people would be in the film. He just said "wouldn't it be cool if...?"

I think the OP should change the title of the thread. It looks like nobody's even bothering to read the thread.

fluffyVW

FionnMatthew wrote: »

Of course it's just rumour.

The source article explicitly says that it's just a movie exec talking off the top of his head.

He's saying "How could we top the last one? Here's how we top the last one."

It's no different from people wishful thinking on Boards. It's just because he's a movie exec that everyone suddenly thinks that his wishful thinking is a confirmed casting decision.

He never even said that these people would be in the film. He just said "wouldn't it be cool if...?"

I think the OP should change the title of the thread. It looks like nobody's even bothering to read the thread.

I have updated it now, I'm sick and not on top of things atm!!! :p:p

I'm just posting what I read anyhow it would be very cool if Johnny Depp was interested in playing The Riddler!!! Pity Hoffman isn't interested...

And yesh its a rumor, everyone keeps saying that and we know!!! It would just be cool if it was true thats all!!! :D:D

Michael Caine most be having some fun with us!!! :P :P :P

Snake Plisken

I think Depp could pull off the joker, as I mentioned on the TDK thread, Depp could just play it the same way as Ledger played it, If we forget about Willy Wonka, and Pirates he was great in Blow Fear and Loathing Ed Wood and Deadman, quality actor just needs to get out from doing crappy Tim Burton movies.
I'd say if Nolan isn't attached to the project I doubt it would get green lighted, then again they could bring in McG to do the third

Pepe LeFrits

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

What I'm more interested in is where they will bring the Batman story next... ignoring villians, the next film will have to be about further character development. Two Face was perfect for the Dark Knight, Harvey Dents downfall a fantastic parallel with Bruce Wayne, and the Joker a true threat. They need to get characters who will match up to this, and not just have a token villian. I think the Riddler could work with his riddles illustrating Batman's growing intelligence and ingenuity, but we will see.

In the end, until Nolan and co have sat down and thought it out fully they probably shouldn't announce anything. The Joker was hinted at in Batman Begins, kind of implying where they'd go next. No such hints in the Dark Knight, so probably a while to wait yet. Lets hope the studio don't force anything now (perhaps I'm overestimating the influence Nolan has).

I think the Riddler could be a good villain to have in the third one as up until now we've mostly seen Batman thinking with his fists, which didn't really work out very well for him in the Dark Knight. Getting him to use that genius intellect would be a nice development. Having said that, I'd prefer to see them tackle some new villains on the big screen. There are a few that we haven't seen that I think could work well.

Sanjuro

Don't believe anything you read unless it's an official announcement. Nolan's kicking back and enjoying time off at the moment. I doubt we mere mortals will hear anything official on a possible sequel to The Dark Knight until mid 2009. Anything else is pure conjecture and not to be taken seriously. End of.