‘The Penguin’ Team on Building Up the ‘Batman’ Villain for HBO: ‘Power Corrupts. What’s He Gonna Do? Probably Some More Bad Stuff’

As a movie critic who spent my formative years immersed in the vibrant landscapes of Gotham City, I must admit, “The Penguin” finale left me utterly spellbound. The masterful blend of familiar faces and fresh characters was nothing short of extraordinary.

Following the surprising ending of “The Penguin” on HBO’s DC series, the creative team held a meeting to explore how they could make their characters more real. This discussion was moderated by Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz, and Deirdre O’Connell, along with showrunner Lauren LeFranc and executive producer Dylan Clark.

Each day, Colin Farrell spent up to three hours in the makeup chair transforming into the Penguin. However, he referred to this time as a “blessed period” or “graceful start” to his day.

Farrell mentioned that the break provided him an opportunity to focus and prepare for the day ahead, as Oz’s eight-hour journey was extremely intense with a lot of conflict, deception, and violence. He stated that there weren’t many days that were not dramatic.

The bond between Oz (the character) and Francis Cobb (played by Deirdre O’Connell) plays a crucial role in the series. As for their intricate relationship, O’Connell expressed: “There is an abundance of love and hatred that at times seems to neutralize each other. It’s extremely intense and passionate on both sides. I believe she loves him immensely, yet harbors strong hatred towards him as well.

In contrast to “The Penguin” being firmly embedded within the universe created by Matt Reeves in his 2022 hit film “The Batman,” Feliz found it liberating to portray Victor Aguilar, an original character not derived from DC Comics.

Feliz stated that there were no limitations in our discussions regarding the character’s residence,” he explained. “Our talks about it were always an open dialogue, allowing us to freely discuss where we envisioned this character dwelling, as well as the tone and emotional aspects.

For Milioti, the actress portraying Sofia Falcone, it was clear that the importance of embodying a beloved comic book character wasn’t overlooked. She admitted feeling the weight of grasping such a substantial chance.

Milioti expressed that she didn’t want to come off as repetitive, but she adores the character deeply. The responses from people about her character have been particularly touching because Milioti is incredibly fascinated with this role. She was mindful of the scarcity of such a role – a fact that wasn’t lost on her, being both an actor and a lover of movies like these. She was acutely aware of this and wanted to do justice to it. For years, she has delved into exploring Sofia, and she genuinely loves her. Milioti hopes that Sofia continues to be part of something special.

When creating the sophisticated and witty Sofia Falcone, the showrunner, LeFranc, underscored the importance to him of crafting his own interpretation of the character for Sofia.

As a movie enthusiast who longed for a strong female character I could relate to during my younger years, crafting Sofia became a personal mission. The prospect of contributing to the creation of a fresh narrative surrounding Sofia Falcone-Gigante fills me with unbridled excitement and coolness – it’s like the fan girl within me getting a chance to play a part in this story! Knowing that she could continue to thrive and inspire new tales about her character would be an absolute delight.

As a passionate film enthusiast, I managed to develop an emotionally resonant character arc for Oz in just two weeks using LeFranc’s psychologically grounded method. This approach truly left an impression on producer Dylan Clark, who was thoroughly convinced by the fully fleshed-out version of the emotional journey I presented.

It’s unusual. A writer who arrives early and proposes to guide a character from one emotional state to another, and then successfully carries out this plan – that’s what happened with Lauren LeFranc here. Matt and I were astounded, exclaiming, “This is remarkable!” I greatly admire her skill. We’ve developed these characters thoroughly and left them in vulnerable positions. Power tends to corrupt, and now he possesses it. What will he do next? Likely more harm.

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2024-12-09 20:38