Barry Keoghan’s Joker teased by The Batman: Part 2’s director and Colin Farrell

As a gamer who’s had my fair share of Batman and Gotham City adventures, I must say the upcoming HBO spinoff “The Penguin” has me intrigued. Having followed Barry Keoghan’s career since his days on Dunkirk, it’s fascinating to see him stepping into the Joker’s sidekick role.


Creators of “The Penguin” have hinted at the portrayal of Barry Keoghan as the Joker, a character briefly introduced in the “Batman” film released in 2022.

Colin Farrell reprises his character as Oswald Cobblepot, who is associated with Batman, in an eight-episode HBO spinoff series. He has previously collaborated with Barry Keoghan in the movie “The Banshees of Inisherin,” which was nominated for an Oscar.

In a conversation specifically with Digital Spy, director Matt Reeves, who’s also an executive producer for The Penguin series, shared insights into how Joaquin Phoenix (Keoghan’s character) plans to embody the iconic Batman villain.

Barry Keoghan's Joker teased by The Batman: Part 2's director and Colin FarrellView full post on Youtube

He said: “Barry is a wonderful actor. He’s very, very special. One of the things that we talked a lot about was the idea, that his worldview is sort of formed by his being disfigured from birth. It was kind of like a cruel joke that life was playing on him, as well.

His overall outlook on life and his peculiar, disconcerting laughter stem from a joke that life has played on him. Essentially, this defines his character, shaping his perspective of the world, offering us a glimpse into who he truly is.

We approached the storyline from an angle that’s similar to the Joker’s, but we aimed to discover a unique entrance or perspective. This was a topic of much discussion during our scene work.

In an exclusive interview with Digital Spy, Farrell expressed his enthusiasm about potentially facing off against Barry’s Crown Prince of Crime in The Batman: Part 2. He commented, “Absolutely! I found him terrific, didn’t we have just two intense scenes?

Barry Keoghan's Joker teased by The Batman: Part 2's director and Colin Farrell

First, there was a character in the movie, followed by another one that came out later. I found Barry’s performance simply stunning, and Mike Marino’s work was equally impressive – he really gave me the chills! It would be a dream come true to collaborate with Barry on that project.

I’m confident he will put a great deal of thought and effort into it – Barry is incredibly dedicated. He’s an exceptional performer who focuses intensely when required.

Barry Keoghan's Joker teased by The Batman: Part 2's director and Colin Farrell

Regarding potential new stories set in the universe of The Batman, Reeves mentioned: “We are discussing with HBO about creating longer-form content. Given that the films are so centered on Batman’s perspective, this format would provide ample space to delve deeper into the backgrounds of the villains in his rogues gallery.

In the comics, this masked vigilante, known as Batman, has a group of adversaries that emerge in response to him. Although the story doesn’t focus on his origin, it does touch upon it indirectly, as we see their origins unfold instead. Characters like Oz (not yet the Kingpin) and Selina (not yet Catwoman) are introduced among others.

To delve into the origins of these characters and understand their psychological aspects, which I find incredibly engaging, is an exciting prospect when working with HBO.

In the meantime, Digital Spy referred to “The Penguin” as a spiritual successor to “The Sopranos,” according to their review. The series currently boasts a 93% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Additionally, updates have been made to the script for the upcoming Batman film by Matt Reeves, and there’s a potential release date announced by Andy Serkis.

The animated series titled “The Penguin” will make its American premiere on Max on September 19, while it will air simultaneously on NOW and Sky Atlantic in the UK on September 20.

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2024-09-18 23:49

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