CRANE, CLAY AND PIG: VILLAIN SPIN-OFF MOVIES/SERIES.

[Invader Joker]

Meanwhile, in Gotham City, filmmaker Reeves is quietly making his own expansion plans. Reeves is developing a sequel to his The Batman, which grossed a respectable $770.8 million worldwide when it was released in March. Already, a series spinoff focusing on Colin Farrell’s Penguin is on its way to filming next year. But Reeves is plotting more. The filmmaker is meeting with writers and directors to build out movies — yes movies, not just series — focused on Batman rogue’s gallery, both established and more obscure, with characters ranging from the Scarecrow to Clayface to Professor Pyg. All those projects are in the very early stages of gestation.

DC Movies: James Gunn Pitches in Secret, Dwayne Johnson Eyes Superman – The Hollywood Reporter

 

[Eddie Dean]

Crane, Clay and Pig: Attorneys at Law

 

[Closerframe]

I don’t think every rogue needs an individual project, but seeing someone like Clayface at least get a short film or limited series would be interesting. I’d be more okay with an anthology that dedicates an episode or two to each villain that likely won’t be explored in a feature film.

 

[Luke995]

Penguin and Arkham series will introduce mobsters/psychos rogue gallery, is quite obvious.

I'm happy that we are going to have a Batuniverse and that finally it's clear that the way "one or two villains at the time" is pretty good with other heroes or James Bond or similar, but the point of Batman is that Gotham is a jungle where Bruce is more similar to rogue gallery than how he is to the good guys...

BTAS on live action. That's what we are going to have!

I hope that Reeves will find the balance between narrates villain stories which have a place in this universe and making them real spin offs, not so much linked with the trilogy plot.

I mean: not MCU style (one big plot with series and movies hugely linked each other) but old-Star Wars style (Clone Wars clarifies some aspects of Ep III, but they're not co-dependent products, they can live alone).

 

[antsman41]

Since Mike Flanagan has expressed interest in Clay-Face...

Let's get;

- Gaspar Noé for Scarecrow
- Ti West for Professor Pyg
- Robert Eggers for Two-Face

 

[Babillygunn]

Professor Pyg absolutely sucks. Why feature him?

worst. villain. ever.

 

[Filmfreak]

I like the idea of expanding the Reeves universe, but yeah, usually side characters are that for a reason. Not everyone needs to carry his own movie or TV show. I know it's very early development and usually most of these plans don't see the light of day, but I fear they could burn this universe out with this concept.

 

[Boom]

There's really only one villain movie I truly want. A sprawling epic covering Ra's al Ghul's origin and centuries long rise to power.

A cocktail of A Prophet, The Godfather and Lawrence of Arabia with just the right amount of pulp fantasy.

 

[Invader Joker]

I like the idea of expanding the Reeves universe, but yeah, usually side characters are that for a reason.

Unless they're adapted and reinterpreted to they can actually be strong enough to carry their own movie which many of these characters really need. Scarecrow is a fascinating villain for instance and has a lot of potential but not a single story that has been told with him has lived up to that potential. By having a writer or director be intensely focused on making these villains the most interesting versions of themselves to make a strong movie that can only mean good things not only for The Batman universe but for the mythos in general.

I think it's pretty obvious they wouldn't just copy them out of the comic just like they aren't copying Penguin or Riddler.

 

[AndyTrevino]

Taking into the rather silly discourse surrounding Clayface potentially not being a gigantic CGI monster, I propose a nice compromise:

 

[Lautox]

Since Mike Flanagan has expressed interest in Clay-Face...

Let's get;

- Gaspar Noé for Scarecrow
- Ti West for Professor Pyg
- Robert Eggers for Two-Face

The Barbarian director will probably approach Clayface, they have to get people who understand and love the characters just like Reeves not guys who just have a vision. I doubt Eggers would be interested he's too busy with his period projects

 

[Boom]

Eggers needs to stick to exactly the kind of films he's making.

 

[C Prometheus]

Eggers needs to stick to exactly the kind of films he's making.

I'm not too concerned about this being an issue. If memory serves me right, Eggers has said in the past that he is exclusively interested in making period piece type films.

As far as the three named villains that are being discussed for getting their own films go, I'd wager that they'll double as vehicles to also interest more of the extended cast in the GCPD, like Montoya or Bullock.

Basically the ideal scenario for these films isn't to make a film with the titular villains as the protagonist; you make a Silence of the Lambs type horror-thriller film with a GCPD protagonist trying to track down this new serial killer (Pyg), a thriller about a young college student in Gotham University slowly realizing that their awkward psychology professor is actually conducting unethical and criminal drug tests on other staff and students (Scarecrow) and perhaps a Phantom of the Opera type story set in Gotham revolving around either a new Broadway-tier stage play or a film production (Clayface).

By doing things this way, not only do you maintain these characters' statuses as villains, but you also have the chance to present other characters from the mythos too (i.e. Montoya and Bullock working the Pyg case, Barbara Gordon as a student at GU, Julie Madison as the leading lady who keeps witnessing these murders on set) and even do something similar to the Gotham Central comics by having cameos from Battinson, but from the outside looking in via the 'normal' protagonists.

 

[BobJM]

Professor Pyg absolutely sucks. Why feature him?

worst. villain. ever.

Could be a great horror villain.

Professor Pyg has a good look. Make him Warner Bros.’ Michael Myers. Renee Montoya can be the heroine.

Warner Bros. has a great track record with horror features as of late.

 

[BobJM]

I'm not too concerned about this being an issue. If memory serves me right, Eggers has said in the past that he is exclusively interested in making period piece type films.

As far as the three named villains that are being discussed for getting their own films go, I'd wager that they'll double as vehicles to also interest more of the extended cast in the GCPD, like Montoya or Bullock.

Basically the ideal scenario for these films isn't to make a film with the titular villains as the protagonist; you make a Silence of the Lambs type horror-thriller film with a GCPD protagonist trying to track down this new serial killer (Pyg), a thriller about a young college student in Gotham University slowly realizing that their awkward psychology professor is actually conducting unethical and criminal drug tests on other staff and students (Scarecrow) and perhaps a Phantom of the Opera type story set in Gotham revolving around either a new Broadway-tier stage play or a film production (Clayface).

By doing things this way, not only do you maintain these characters' statuses as villains, but you also have the chance to present other characters from the mythos too (i.e. Montoya and Bullock working the Pyg case, Barbara Gordon as a student at GU, Julie Madison as the leading lady who keeps witnessing these murders on set) and even do something similar to the Gotham Central comics by having cameos from Battinson, but from the outside looking in via the 'normal' protagonists.

Love the idea to use Silence of the Lambs as inspiration for the story but instead of Professor Pyg as the featured villain, I’d incorporate Scarecrow:

Young women are being abducted in Gotham City with the Mad Hatter claiming responsibility for the kidnapping of his so-called ‘Alices.’

Barbara Gordon, one of the youngest to graduate from Quantico, is tasked by her superior at the FBI to serve as the bureau’s liaison to the GCPD given her Gotham City upbringing and history/connection to the department, i.e. her father.

The GCPD has also enlisted Jonathan Crane to provide insights on the case, given his illustrious scholarly career in psychology research.

Barbara is the only one to suspect Crane’s true nature and finds herself targeted by one sadistic killer while she hunts another. In the end, Barbara resigns from the FBI to pursue a different path.

The stage is then set for future storytellers to introduce Batgirl within the Reeves universe.

 

[OtherwiseKnownAs]

Professor Pyg absolutely sucks. Why feature him?

worst. villain. ever.

Since no one else will say it, I will.

You're wrong. Pyg is easily, easily, the best of the "modern age" Batvillains, way above any of the ones Snyder created.

(I'm basing "modern age" Batman as the beginning of Morrison's run.)

 

[C Prometheus]

Since no one else will say it, I will.

You're wrong. Pyg is easily, easily, the best of the "modern age" Batvillains, way above any of the ones Snyder created.

(I'm basing "modern age" Batman as the beginning of Morrison's run.)

See, I completely agree with you about Pyg! I thought that I'd expressed my Pro-Pyg stance on the board for so long that it wasn't worth bringing up. Aside from Dr. Hugo Strange, Pyg is the villain I'm most eager to see brought to a live action project.

He's a far more inspired pick for a film than Man-Bat imo.

Love the idea to use Silence of the Lambs as inspiration for the story but instead of Professor Pyg as the featured villain, I’d incorporate Scarecrow:

Young women are being abducted in Gotham City with the Mad Hatter claiming responsibility for the kidnapping of his so-called ‘Alices.’

Barbara Gordon, one of the youngest to graduate from Quantico, is tasked by her superior at the FBI to serve as the bureau’s liaison to the GCPD given her Gotham City upbringing and history/connection to the department, i.e. her father.

The GCPD has also enlisted Jonathan Crane to provide insights on the case, given his illustrious scholarly career in psychology research.

Barbara is the only one to suspect Crane’s true nature and finds herself targeted by one sadistic killer while she hunts another. In the end, Barbara resigns from the FBI to pursue a different path.

The stage is then set for future storytellers to introduce Batgirl within the Reeves universe.

See, that's not a bad pitch at all, but I feel like if you're making a film about Professor Pyg at all, the only way to really do him justice is if you're going in the vein of Silence of the Lambs with him. Plus that's also a perfect way to have Montoya, Bullock and/or a returning Martinez as the protagonist(s) of the film.

Meanwhile I do think you could get away with a horror-thriller film for Scarecrow with Barbara as a student in Gotham University who starts to suspect one of her teachers is a psychopath. That way, you get more of a "Hitchcock meets Giallo/Slasher" angle, but still set Barbara on the path of eventually donning the Batgirl mantle in a later film.

 

[Babillygunn]

Pyg is easily, easily, the best of the "modern age" Batvillains, way above any of the ones Snyder created.

“Way above” Court of Owls??? That’s amazing.

I guess I just see Pyg as a gross out slasher movie reject. I always take him to be a torture porn-inspired character. And I detest torture porn. I think I’ve read every story he has been in and I’ve never felt like I’ve seen one where he has much of a personality.

The only story that I found him tolerable was the bizarre one where he entered a motorcycle race and faced off against Nightwing during Jurgens’ run on Nightwing. And that was because it was intended to be absurd.

 

[OtherwiseKnownAs]

“Way above” Court of Owls??? That’s amazing.

I guess I just see Pyg as a gross out slasher movie reject. I always take him to be a torture porn-inspired character. And I detest torture porn. I think I’ve read every story he has been in and I’ve never felt like I’ve seen one where he has much of a personality.

The only story that I found him tolerable was the bizarre one where he entered a motorcycle race and faced off against Nightwing during Jurgens’ run on Nightwing. And that was because it was intended to be absurd.

Yes, way above "Secret Gotham Society #87"

No personality? All Pyg is is personality.

 

[SwordOfMorning]

Pyg is a fun, off-putting, weirdly hilarious and gross character with a unique voice and a cool design. The Court is cool but nowhere near as fun or interesting, I like the first Court of Owls story but I lose interest in them by the end of it.

 

[Babillygunn]

I guess there is a passionate audience for Prof. Pyg. I’m just not it.

To me, he’s like watching a child eat boogers. But I don’t like gross out body horror.

Anyway, different strokes for different folks I guess.

 

[Shinobi Shaw]

I think a slasher film set in Gotham with Pyg at the helm would be fun. Maybe he goes on a spree while Bruce Wayne is away on business.

 

[BobJM]

See, that's not a bad pitch at all, but I feel like if you're making a film about Professor Pyg at all, the only way to really do him justice is if you're going in the vein of Silence of the Lambs with him. Plus that's also a perfect way to have Montoya, Bullock and/or a returning Martinez as the protagonist(s) of the film.

That’s fair. It’s been a while since I’ve read Morrison’s Pyg, so I do tend to think of him as more of a mask/gimmick than a cerebral foe. Which would be fun for a lower-budget slasher. Totally agreed that this would be a great space for Montoya & Bullock.

I’m still at a loss for how to adapt Clayface. But then again, my only real familiarity with the character is BTAS. And I suspect that’s not the route that a Matt Reeves-universe adaptation would go, but I could be completely wrong there.

 

[BobJM]

Also…where’s the Catwoman announcement?

 

[Invader Joker]

See, that's not a bad pitch at all, but I feel like if you're making a film about Professor Pyg at all, the only way to really do him justice is if you're going in the vein of Silence of the Lambs with him. Plus that's also a perfect way to have Montoya, Bullock and/or a returning Martinez as the protagonist(s) of the film.

Or you lean into the Circus of Strange aspect of his character and make the movie about him forming his gang of misfits with Mister Toad and company.