The Batman: Colin Farrell’s Penguin Makeup, Robert Pattinson’s Eyes

The Batman: Colin Farrell’s Penguin Makeup, Robert Pattinson’s Eyes

Matt Reeves by no means meant for Colin Farrell to look unrecognizable in “The Batman.”
In the completed movie, Farrell’s look is completely obliterated within the position of Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot, the scarred and dumpy mid-level Gotham City gangster with the (unwelcome) nickname of “the Penguin.” But when the 55-year-old director — who co-wrote “The Batman” with Peter Craig — first approached Farrell for the position, he was targeted on Farrell’s skill to convey grit and sensitivity in the identical efficiency.
“He may have that blend of being extremely, extremely scary and unstable, after which hastily, you’d see this weak facet that basically made you are feeling for that man,” Reeves tells Variety. “So I actually needed him to play the character.”

When they met, nevertheless, Reeves seen that Farrell had lately gained weight for a distinct film, which match into his conception of the longstanding Batman villain as a mobster akin to John Cazale’s Fredo in “The Godfather” movies.

“I believed John Cazale has a type of Penguin nostril,” Reeves says. “I believed, effectively, perhaps there’s one thing visually that we do.”
Reeves turned to prosthetic make-up artist Michael Marino (lately Oscar-nominated for his make-up work in “Coming 2 America”) to design a search for Farrell’s Penguin. Reeves cited Cazale, Sydney Greenstreet and Bob Hoskins as potential inspirations. “I noticed him as being virtually like a throwback Warner Bros. gangster,” he says.
But then Farrell advised Reeves that he didn’t really feel wholesome carrying the additional weight and wanted to lose it, which Reeves relayed to Marino. “So Mike factored that each one in,” Reeves says. “And sooner or later he confirmed me this sculpture on a head forged of Colin. It’s the character you see [in the movie]. And I used to be like, Wait, what?”
Reeves laughs. “I couldn’t imagine what I used to be seeing,” he says. He was deeply impressed with Marino’s work, however he had conceived his movie as grounded in actuality. “I stated, ‘We are useless within the water if I allow you to do that and anybody says, “Oh, I can see that that’s make-up.” That will spoil every part.’”

Colin Farrell in “The Batman”
Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection

Marino assured Reeves that not solely would Farrell have entry to a full vary of expression underneath the make-up, however the phantasm would really feel completely actual. “He stated, ‘Matt, I promise you, when he walks on the set — not simply once you movie it however when he walks on the set — individuals will suppose, “Who is that this man?”‘”
Still, Reeves was skeptical. He confirmed Farrell what Marino had executed. “Colin obtained actually excited,” Reeves says. “And I used to be like, ‘Okay, I assume we’re doing this.’ I couldn’t imagine we have been taking that leap.” Reeves was nonetheless ready to strip away the make-up as Marino and Farrell did exams in New York, however the video he obtained again lastly satisfied him to stay with Marino’s full design.
“What it did to Colin was superb,” he says. “I used to be like, Who is that man? And Colin was so humorous. He was already speaking within the voice that he makes use of within the film. It was not the intention to rent Colin so he may appear like that. It was one of many issues that the evolution of what we did took us to that.”

Makeup artist Naomi Donne isn’t any stranger to Marino’s work — the 2 have collaborated earlier than — however this transformation additionally blew her away. “Mike went off and designed this character based mostly on plenty of totally different faces,” she says. “I don’t suppose I’ve ever stood in entrance of somebody in make-up like that and forgotten it was make-up. I believed that make-up fully.”
She provides their objective was to not make any character comical, somewhat however emphasize that these have been actual individuals. “[Colin] went to Starbucks or one thing, and also you wouldn’t suppose it was this man as a result of the make-up is simply unimaginable and his enamel have been unimaginable. That was the distinction between this and different ‘Batman’ motion pictures. This appeared actual.”
Thanks to the COVID security protocols and the three hours it took every day to rework Farrell into Cobblepot, Reeves by no means noticed Farrell out of make-up whereas making the film. “On the final day that Colin shot, I used to be actually unhappy,” he says. “Because, truthfully, I obtained to know Colin somewhat bit throughout prep. But the particular person I knew was Colin appeared like Oz. It’s so bizarre. I like Colin. But that man Oz, I do know that man. That was the man I noticed day by day.”

Kurt Cobain impressed Bruce Wayne’s look.
Warner Bros

When it got here to Batman himself, Reeves and Robert Pattinson modeled the crime-fighter’s look on Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain.
“There was the concept he can be in his bat swimsuit and painted his eyes black to merge his look, however when he took it off, he by no means washed it off correctly and it gave him this barely haunted look,” says Donne.
The smudged kohl pencil look required a mixture of merchandise that may maintain Pattinson sweating within the swimsuit and performing within the rain. “We combined pigments with numerous liquid merchandise,” Donne explains. “We painted eyeliner on loads of totally different merchandise, however we needed to care for the pores and skin round his eyes.” Since she was making use of merchandise to final the lengthy shoot days, getting the product off round his eyes was no straightforward activity both.
Hairstylist Zoe Tahir labored on Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne hair: that longish, side-parted look. “That’s what she was creating, with hair that hung over his eyes and [him peering] out by way of it, this Kurt-inspired look,” says Donne. “It was a dangerous factor to do for that character, but it surely went with the attention make-up, the persona we have been attempting to create and what Robert was attempting to create with the character.”

Makeup artist Naomi Dunne combined pigment and kohl to realize Bruce’s smudged eyeliner look.
Warner Bros

optionally available display screen reader

Read More About:

https://selection.com/2022/artisans/information/batman-penguin-makeup-matt-reeves-1235197081/

Recommended For You

About the Author: Jessica