Robin Williams has long been linked with roles in Batman movies over the years. He was apparentaly on the shortlist to play The Joker in the Tim Burton Batman movie in 1989 but obviously he was up aganist Jack so that never came to fruition and …depending on who you believe…. Williams was cast as The Riddler in Tim Burton’s original take on Batman Forever before the director left the project and Joel F**** Schumacher took over.
Around the time that Christopher Nolan annouced he was taking on the Batman Begins project, he was talked about by fans as the perfect choice to play The Riddler in a future movie, many commenting that his role in Nolan’s Insomnia made him a prime canditate for a dark take on a Gotham villain.
Nov 2006, and Robin Willams’ name turns up again in discussions about Batman. The actor himself was talking about his new movie Happy Feet, when the subject of The Dark Knight turned up and Williams spoke of his desire to be in the movie. He said that he would like to have any role that’s “unusual” and even talked about “Arkham Asylum” (clearly a Bat fan… always a good thing).
You can watch the video interview for yourself by clicking here, but I’ll admit it’s quite hard to hear what he is saying but he does speak of his desire to be in The Dark Knight.
I could dig Robin Williams as The Penguin. That character keeps getting mentioned as possibly having a role in The Dark Knight and a serious Williams take on him would be something I would like to see. Robin Williams circa 1995 was perfect for The Riddler also, but I could still dig an older take on the character too, I think that could work.
I say cast him! He is clearly a Bat-fan, is a great actor and has shown he can play great villains (One Hour Photo, Insomnia). They could certainly do a lot worse that’s for sure.
Oh, and Warner Brothers have annouced the release date for the movie. July 18th 2008… mark it on your calendars (does anyone have calendars for 2008 yet???)
source – latino review, batman on film
4 Comments
I like the idea of Robin Williams in a Batman movie. Cool…but why matt does Penguin instantly appear in your mind when you think of Williams? I think that’s stereotyping, and it wouldnt be good because I didn’t even like Danny Devito’s take on Penguin. Let Williams play a character that hasn’t been shown in the movies yet…make it more exciting! Who wants to go to a movie and see YET AGAIN a rehashing of the Penguin character….But as a villain, definately Williams. But someone who can crack wiseass jokes or make batman run in circles.
I didn’t like Devito’s take on The Penguin character either. It was a fantastic performance from Devito…. but it wasn’t The Penguin I know.
The Penguin in the comics is a short and chubby mob boss who is highly intelligent and sinisterly cold. He likely will only have a small role in the movie if they use him, similar to how they used Carmine Falcone.
He can still have the wisecracks and can make Batman run in circles… from what I’ve heard if they use him he will be portrayed as the most powerful man in Gotham who pretty much runs the crime of the city.
This, finally, is a role I could actually stomach from Robin Williams. God the guy’s been bugging me for years with his Oscar-baiting crap and his “madcap antics.” This might be the thing he needs.
i think that mister robin willliams would make a good riddler villan in
batman3 the movie, with, crispin glover joker, in the movie,.. tails miles prower /tailsko aka female tails/dracula tails prower/vampire tails prower/ aka demon tails/ aka vampiriss tails prower,.. please,.. mr. nolan,.. she has to be in the movie,.. and with halle berry as catwoman in the movie,… too,… and with hugh laurie as the mad hatter,… too,.. and with the gotham city thugs,.. too,… and with sarah michelle gellar as harley quinn, yes,… and with aaron eckhart as two face in the movie,… too,..