Jonah Hill Won’t Be In “The Batman” After All (UPDATE: But Paul Dano Will)
Josh Gad just ran full-tilt to his phone and frantically called his agent, screaming “ME ME ME, I’LL DO IT!” when he read that the role of The Penguin in The Batman was back up for grabs. Because Jonah Hill is no longer going to play The Penguin or The Riddler opposite Robert Pattinson as Batman.
There was talk that Warner Bros. had offered Jonah Hill an “unspecified villain role” in The Batman, alongside Catwoman who will be played by Zoe Kravitz. The rumor was that Jonah would probably be playing either The Penguin or The Riddler. It sounded like Jonah had either role in the bag, and he just had to decide which one he wanted. Apparently, it’s neither. Sources tell Deadline that talks broke down, and Jonah is out.
Apparently this kind of thing happens all the time, where a studio and a star come very very close to signing a contract, and then “talks” break down at the last minute. But luckily for Warner Bros., they have plenty of time to find a new Penguin or Riddler. Filming of The Batman is expected to start in January 2020, with a release scheduled for June 21, 2121. (UPDATE: Paul Dano is going to be The Riddler.)
But it sounds like they already have a name in mind to replace Jonah Hill. And it turns out, they’re thinking of going with the Original Recipe Jonah Hill, aka Seth Rogen. However, Deadline’s sources say that Seth is just a name that’s being thrown around by Warner Bros., and that no talks, meetings, or bongs have been shared between the two.
Deadline’s sources don’t say what happened between Warner Bros., Jonah, and director Matt Reeves. Which is too bad, because a dramatic, moody movie like The Batman deserves some dramatic, moody behind-the-scenes drama. I want to believe Jonah backed out because he just couldn’t wrap his head around the movie itself.
“Okay so you’re telling me Bruce Wayne is a handsome and famous millionaire who lives in a huge mansion with a loyal man servant, owns a yacht, casually dates tons of hot young women, and he spends his spare time and money fighting evil? I’m sorry, how is this not a biopic about Leonardo DiCaprio? I think I’m too close to this story, I’m out.”
Pic: Wenn.com