‘The Batman’ director talks to The Hollywood Reporter about the HBO hit’s season finale and how the show has impacted the film sequel. In a rare feat, acclaimed director Matt Reeves has overseen the creation of both a critically praised blockbuster movie and an acclaimed hit TV spinoff series.
The Batman launched in 2022 to widespread acclaim, and now its HBO spinoff series The Penguin has captivated audiences with its gritty exploration of one of Gotham’s most infamous villains.
Reeves, who executive produces The Penguin, recently sat down with The Hollywood Reporter to discuss the show’s thrilling season finale and how it will impact the upcoming sequel film, The Batman Part II.
A Surprising Creative Choice
Showrunner Lauren LeFranc has drawn widespread praise for her work on The Penguin, and Reeves revealed there was one particular creative decision that caught him off guard—but in the best way.
“The thing that I fell in love with immediately was this idea of meeting this character, Victor (Rhenzy Feliz), who was in absolutely the wrong place at the wrong time,” Reeves said. He was especially impressed by LeFranc’s handling of the relationship between Oz (Colin Farrell) and his mother, Francis (Deirdre O’Connell).
However, Reeves noted that the way LeFranc ultimately depicted Victor’s tragic fate was even more powerful than her initial pitch. “In the struggle between Sofia and Oz, Sofia was able to manipulate things in such a way that she turned Oz against Vic. And that would be this tragic thing,” he explained.
“But then, as we got deeper and deeper in, and she wrote the scene, she had changed her conception slightly, but in a critical way that I think made it even more powerful—an idea that was truly horrendous but also profoundly tragic, which was that Oz needed to kill Victor because he couldn’t bear that level of vulnerability.”
The Future Of The Penguin Franchise
With The Penguin proving to be a hit, HBO is understandably eager for more. Although “everything is on the table,” Reeves is coy about the form. He’s particularly excited about the possibility of exploring Sofia Gigante’s story in greater depth, given Cristin Milioti‘s breakout performance. “That was so personal to Lauren’s vision that digging into [Sofia’s story] further is a very exciting prospect,” Reeves said.
“But where it will go, truly, we don’t know yet.” Reeves also acknowledged that Colin Farrell’s comments about not wanting to don the Penguin’s “fucking suit and fucking head again” gave him pause. However, he believes there is a way to bring Farrell back, should the right story present itself.
“We did talk about it, and he goes, ‘I know that came out not quite right; it seemed so definitive,'” Reeves shared. Reeves shared, “But if there is a compelling way to return that truly feels earned, I know Colin wants to do that, because doing good work is all that matters to any of us.”
Balancing The Rogues Gallery
As Reeves looks ahead to The Batman Part II, he knows he must tread carefully when it comes to introducing new interpretations of iconic Batman villains. Following in the footsteps of acclaimed portrayals by Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix, The Joker represents a particular challenge.
“You must approach these characters in a new way every time. That makes it extremely daunting, Reeves acknowledged. At the same time, this is a version of Penguin that has never been seen before. The only way to do it is to feel like you’re earning your place because otherwise you’re just doing more, and people are going like, ‘Well, we’ve seen it, so what do you got for us?'”
Reeves is clearly up for the challenge, intent on delivering bold new takes on Batman’s famed rogues gallery that honor the past while forging a distinctive future for the Dark Knight’s cinematic saga.
Table of Contents