The Dark Knight Rises Official Oswald " The Penguin " Cobblepot thread

[Mr. Socko]

The suits are enough reason. Most people get called (or feel like) a "penguin" when in a tux.

While we're at it, let's strip him of the monocle and top hat too! And no one wears a tux every day either, let's just throw a fat man in a raggedy old potato sack and call it a day, that's a very gritty idea.

 

[killingyouguy]

While we're at it, let's strip him of the monocle and top hat too! And no one wears a tux every day either, let's just throw a fat man in a raggedy old potato sack and call it a day, that's a very gritty idea.

Constantly wearing daper clothing, being obsessed with birds & carrying loaded umbrellas is sufficiantly strange & "Penguin". Adding a monocle, beak-like nose, waddle, cigarette-holder & top hat is pushing it.

Look at the Scarecrow, he wasn't dressed like a Scarecrow at all. Just put a hessian bag over his head, but it worked perfectly. Better than the comic book Scarecrow would have. Same goes for Penguin (and most characters), they need to be reworked in at least some way. We already know Nolan isn't a fan of the Penguin.

 

[Lex Luthor]

The suits are enough reason. Most people get called (or feel like) a "penguin" when in a tux. Maybe give him a limp to; not too pronounced but together with the daper clothing & obsession with birds it should be enough to make anyone call him "the Penguin".

Would he honestly need to go that far and be seen a tux?

Or would he possibly be nicknamed "The Penguin" due to his short height, build, and perhaps a long, but not grotesque or cartoony, roman nose?

Just like any other villain under Nolan's direction, I expect changes. Which is only right. As characters are often not exactly translated from the comic book to the silver screen without some differences. And Oswald wouldnt be an exception I'm sure. But it seriously wouldnt be that tricky to include him into Nolan's vision of the Batverse.

 

[Mr. Socko]

Gritty AND realistic.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who can grasp the concept of dark gritty realism for Nolan's world.

Constantly wearing daper clothing, being obsessed with birds & carrying loaded umbrellas is sufficiantly strange & "Penguin". Adding a monocle, beak-like nose, waddle, cigarette-holder & top hat is pushing it.

Look at the Scarecrow, he wasn't dressed like a Scarecrow at all. Just put a hessian bag over his head, but it worked perfectly. Better than the comic book Scarecrow would have. Same goes for Penguin (and most characters), they need to be reworked in at least some way.

That is pushing it sir! I prefer my gritty potato sack idea.


The Penguin should also carry around a knife instead of an unrealistic machine gun umbrella. He can stab people in the neck if disobey him or talk about his potato sack ensemble. He can be old and fat maybe have black rotted teeth, that's enough as far as Penguin connotations go.

We already know Nolan isn't a fan of the Penguin.

Which is why he will not appear in any of his films

 

[killingyouguy]

Would he honestly need to go that far and be seen a tux?

Or would he possibly be nicknamed "The Penguin" due to his short height, build, and perhaps a long, but not grotesque or cartoony, roman nose?

Just like any other villain under Nolan's direction, I expect changes. Which is only right. As characters are often not exactly translated from the comic book to the silver screen without some differences. And Oswald wouldnt be an exception I'm sure. But it seriously wouldnt be that tricky to include him into Nolan's vision of the Batverse.

Well making him short, fat & big-nosed (unless you use prothetics) limits the actors available for the role. The clothing doesn't. And, IMO, the Penguin doesn't need to be short, fat & big-nosed to be the Penguin.

 

[Lex Luthor]

Well making him short, fat & big-nosed (unless you use prothetics) limits the actors available for the role.

That's exactly why I said in a previous post that, yes. If The Penguin should appear in a future sequel, the actor in question should most definately wear a false nose much like Ben Affleck wearing a false nose to play George Reeves. It doesnt have to be painfully obvious to the audience of, "Oh look how long and ugly his nose is!", but at the very least the Penguin should have something of a roman nose. I honestly dont believe adding this effect would be that big of an issue.

The clothing doesn't. And, IMO, the Penguin doesn't need to be short, fat & big-nosed to be the Penguin.

An actor atleast shorter than Bale could possibly work, but I'll just say we have a difference of opinion on that one. And even if The Penguin was said to be inspired by a cigarette company ad featuring a penguin, I really dont believe it's necessary to actually see the guy wearing a tux just to point out the similarities.

 

[killingyouguy]

And even if The Penguin was said to be inspired by a cigarette company ad featuring a penguin, I really dont believe it's necessary to actually see the guy wearing a tux just to point out the similarities.

He's going to get the "Penguin" nickname from one of 3 places.

a) His clothing.
b) His appearance (short, round, long nose).
c) His walk.

IMO, the clothing is the most realistic option. It doesn't have to be a tux, it could just be expensive suits. But the "Penguin" nickname is going to make more sense if it's a tux.

And as for the nose, he doesn't have a Roman nose in the comics. It's long and beak-like. If you're not going to give him THAT nose than there is no point of giving him a big nose in the first place, IMO.

Here's how I see the Penguin:

Daper clothing - MUST STAY.
His walk - CAN STAY, but don't make it a blatant waddle. Some sort of limp would do, although I wouldn't be upset if he just walked normally either.
His loaded umbrellas - MUST STAY.
Big nose - CAN GO.
Short & fat - CAN GO. If the actor they want is short & fat, fine. If not, just as fine.
Obsession with birds - MUST STAY.
Monocle, top hat & cigarette holder - CAN STAY, if reworked. Maybe come up with more realistic takes. Maybe spectacles, a bowler/fedora & normal cigarettes. Or scrap them all (or some) completely, no big loss.
Squaking-laugh - CAN STAY, but shouldn't be so obvious. Maybe a laugh that on any one else wouldn't be that strange but when coupled with Penguin's appearance, walk, etc. it sounds bird-like.

 

[Lex Luthor]

He's going to get the "Penguin" nickname from one of 3 places.

a) His clothing.
b) His appearance (short, round, long nose).
c) His walk.

MmmHmmm ......

IMO, the clothing is the most realistic option. It doesn't have to be a tux, it could just be expensive suits. But the "Penguin" nickname is going to make more sense if it's a tux.

For me, it seems more plausible if it's associated with either A. His appearance, or B. The manner in which he presents himself, and his own personal characterisitcs ect ect. Personally, I dont need to see him in a tux just to drive the point home of, "Hey, he kinda looks like a Penguin in that tux!". Like you said, it can come from a variety of sources. Two of which you named.

And as for the nose, he doesn't have a Roman nose in the comics. It's long and beak-like. If you're not going to give him THAT nose than there is no point of giving him a big nose in the first place, IMO.

Personally, I think it would only add to his character. With throwing in a long, and beak-like nose, you kinda run the risk of it becoming comical and having the audience perhaps becoming fixated on that damn nose every time he's on screen. Which is why I mention a simple, long roman nose. Again, characteristics can go a long way. And it wouldnt be completely abandoning a concept created in the comics, just presenting it in a decidedly less comicbook-like fashion.

 

[Mr. Socko]

lol I'm not even taking any of this seriously because Nolan isn't going to place Penguin in a Batman film

 

[Lex Luthor]

Bleh @ the negative attitude.

And after Post #42 in this thread, I have a hard time grasping how you could honestly think Nolan's vision is "far too realistic for a chubby long-nosed Oswald Cobblepot"?

 

[Nepenthes]

Are you guys seriously talking about what he's going to wear and the size of his nose?

Really.......

 

[Lex Luthor]

Are you guys seriously talking about what he's going to wear and the size of his nose?

Really.......

Yes.

Yes we are talking about what he's going to wear and the size of his nose!

No matter how trivial it really is.

Really.

HE HAS TO FIT IN NOLAN'S GRITTY DARK REALISM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[The Mighty Wind]

Bob Hoskins for the win!

 

[The Caped Knight]

HE HAS TO FIT IN NOLAN'S GRITTY DARK REALISM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well as long as Nolan doesn't go down Tim Burton's Gothic version of The Penguin . I'll be happy . I hope he got the classic look similar to BTAS .

 

[Lex Luthor]

Well as long as Nolan doesn't go down Tim Burton's Gothic version of The Penguin . I'll be happy . I hope he got the classic look similar to BTAS .

You know, I actually liked that version of The Penguin from TAS that was clearly influenced by Batman Returns for whatever reason, than I did the later one that was much more 'classic' in appearance.

 

[Nepenthes]

^ I want his nose too be 20% smaller and I want pinstripe pants instead of plain

 

[Mr. Socko]

Well as long as Nolan doesn't go down Tim Burton's Gothic version of The Penguin . I'll be happy . I hope he got the classic look similar to BTAS .

The Penguin in TAS is near identical to Burton's in appearance. The hump back, the stiff walk, long hair, he even has flipper hands for crying out loud! Just for comparison, here's Penguin from TNBA which was more like the comics.

 

[Nepenthes]

I can't imagine a Nolan Penguin actually needing an umbrella much. To me he's the kind of guy who's only outdoors when he's walking from a limosuine to the front door. A mob boss doesn't exactly stroll the streets or take lunch in a park.

To remedy this, I'd have scenes with Penguin hanging out on a rooftop lounge/office, this is his favourite spot since birds should be close to the sky and it makes him feel like a special aristocrat. He'd be Marcellus from Pulp Fiction, giving orders by phone, poolside, under the open air and snacking on cavier. It creates parrallels with Batman, operating on rooftops and yeah, it allows him to carry a friggin umbrella.

I like the idea of a scene on a rooftop in drenching rain. Penguin and his model girlfriends are all under umbrellas, he's berating his goons and they're just sitting there soaking wet listening to him squawk.

 

[Lex Luthor]

^ I want his nose too be 20% smaller and I want pinstripe pants instead of plain

I knew you had it in you.

Anyways, done and done.

 

[The Law]

I think the following things are necessary:
Tuxedo/formal clothing
Short and fat
Umbrella
Aristocratic attitude

Give him a cigar instead of a cigarette holder. The umbrella can easily be explained as a method of clandestinely carrying a weapon for protection. Also, his role in the film is important. Is he a night club owner, who Batman goes to for information? Is he a British arms dealer, as has been suggested by some? Is he a mob boss, representing the continuing "freakization" of Gotham? I think night club owner and mob boss go together, and that arms dealer is a solid role as well. He can be responsible for arming both sides in a gang war, and get a beating from Batman. He should not be the main villain of the movie, but rather play a role similar to that of Falcone, or Scarecrow at the most.

Due to Ledger's death, there seems to be something of a hole in the third film. I believe they will avoid recasting the Joker role by leaving him out of the third film. I would add Penguin in a supporting role, with Two Face being the main villain. This might seem like too much, but the Penguin role would not be as large as in "Batman Returns." He would not have any background, and would not require any serious characterization. I would cast Phillip Seymour Hoffman in the role, as he seems to be the perfect combination of popular appeal and acting ability that Nolan seems to have sought in the series thus far.

 

[mfahey99]

dont any of you remember that interview with nolan a while back where he stated that he hated the penguin and wouldnt use him in the any of his movies. cus, umm, this thread is pretty useless and a waste of time. im just tired of everybody saying who can play the penguin or what he should be like when he will never be in one of nolans films.

 

[Timstuff]

What exactly do umbrellas have to do with penguins? I've never understood.

 

[killingyouguy]

Due to Ledger's death, there seems to be something of a hole in the third film.

Why do people keep saying this? Because of what Goyer said? That's old. He said Joker would scar Dent in the third, but we know Dent gets scarred in TDK. So there is nothing (that we know of) tying Joker to BB3.

 

[Majik1387]

What exactly do umbrellas have to do with penguins? I've never understood.

It's how they fly in the real gritty world.

 

[Nepenthes]

I knew you had it in you.

Anyways, done and done.

Ha ha! pinstripe pants are teh realism because vertical patterns have a slimming effect and in real life Penquin is sad because he is the teh puffy

What exactly do umbrellas have to do with penguins? I've never understood.

It's got nothing to do with penguins. but it completes the image of the aristocrat or bourgeois capitalist that Penquin is based from. Monocle, top hat, overcoat, portly and well fed. An ornamental cane would be the final accessory but I'm guessing Bob Kane switched in an umbrella simply because it's a better novelty device. It looks funnier, a fat man floating in on an umbrella, pointing it at your face. But the question is, what exactly do bourgeois "gentlemen of crime" have to do with penguins? Answer; cigarettes.

somewhere in a parallel universe Batman is solving crimes committed by Joe Camel