No Penguin/Riddler after all…
Jonah Hill has reportedly dropped out of a role as the leading villain in Robert Pattinson’s forthcoming Batman movie, after negotiations broke down.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hill dropped out of the film amid reports that he and Warner Bros were “too far apart” when it came to securing a deal.
It comes after reports last month suggested that talks were at an “early and sensitive stage”, amid rumours that The Riddler and The Penguin were considered to be the top options for Hill’s role.
But Collider subsequently claimed that he had been cast as The Riddler, as director Matt Reeves believed that casting Hill as The Penguin would be “a little too on-the-nose”.
Despite Hill dropping out, fans backed the involvement of Zoe Kravitz earlier this week – who will play Catwoman.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Kravitz clinched the role this past weekend after reading with Pattinson with three other candidates. Director Matt Reeves seemed to confirm the casting on social media when he tweeted a .gif of Kravitz answering her phone with a simple “hello”:
Zoe Kravitz
Kravitz will star as Selina Kyle, athletic burglar and – per the comics – long-running love interest of Batman. Two years ago, she voiced Catwoman in The Lego Batman Movie.
The Batman is due out in theatres June 15, 2021. The only other confirmed cast member aside from Pattinson and Kravitz is Jeffrey Wright, who will play Batman ally Commissioner Jim Gordon.
Details on The Batman‘s plot are still scarce, though it has been revealed that the film will not be another origin movie delving into Bruce Wayne’s past. Pattinson expressed excitement about the “interesting direction” Reeves was pursuing for the movie, teasing that “it’s something from the comics which hasn’t really been explored yet.”
In the same interview, Pattinson revealed his anger and anxiety at premature reports that he had been cast as Batman: “When that thing leaked, I was fucking furious… I sort of thought that had blown up the whole thing.”
Pattinson’s casting, which broke in May, sparked some criticism from fans, prompting Pattinson’s Twilight co-star Kristen Stewart and longtime Batman producer Michael E. Uslan to come forward in his defence.
