Wednesday, June 30, 2010

RIDDLE ME THIS, RIDDLE ME THAT: IS ROBIN WILLIAMS THE RIDDLER IN THE NEW BATMAN?

Now, before you get your hopes up, this is just something that Robin Williams would like himself. One of the best comedians ever, while speaking to "Empire Magazine", Williams has admitted that he would like to become Batman's nemesis since he loves the famous superhero franchise: I would do Batman in a second, playing anyone. I'd play The Riddler in the next one, although it would be hard to top Heath Ledger as the villain and I'm a little hairy for tights. He also added that he was offered roles in previous sequels, but he didn't get them in the end: The Batman films have screwed me twice before: years ago they offered me The Joker and then gave it to Jack Nicholson, then they offered me The Riddler and gave it to Jim Carrey.
As HOLLYWOOD SPY previously reported, The Riddler might be one of the villains in Christopher Nolan's third brutal attack on Batman, and according to some rumors one of the candidates for the role is young Joseph Gordon Levitt. Everybody knows I don't have a high opinion about Nolan's take on the Batman, but I like the idea of Robin Williams doing a playful Riddler and bringing back the sparkle and humor that Nicholson, Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones had given to Batman films. He was stunning in "Insomnia" and "One Hour Photo", showing that he has a dramatic talent beside the comedic one.

26 comments:

  1. I for one truly enjoyed the dark and serious nature of the more recent Batman movies. I don't know what kind of fit Robin Williams will be. He has in the past been a sometimes annoyingly over the top actor, but I agree that in Insomnia and One Hour Photo he showed a great dramatic style and I think this has been some of his greatest work. That side of him would fit well with the newer Batman franchise.

    Lee
    Tossing It Out

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  2. Noooo... Robin Williams has to retire.

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  3. yeah no thanks on this. Not that i don't like Robin Williams, i just prefer the dark Batman franchise because it's truer to the comics

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  4. So, I think we're on number 52,303 for people in Hollywood who have been tied to be a villain in the next Batman movie. I'm not even sure they've finished the script yet, and why everyone is dead set in The Riddler being next is beyond me (way down the totem pole on my favored Batman villains).

    I'm of the wait and see position when it comes to casting rumors/desires. Too much speculation, misdirection, and agent play to be serious.

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  5. I think Robin Williams could play a dark baddie like the Riddler. He can play dark with a bit of cleverness I think. Interesting that he was up for the roles before!

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  6. Too many Batman movies in my opinion. I cant keep count.

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  7. Robin does make for an excellent villain, and the fact that Nolan worked with him in Insomnia, it could happen. I'm not too keen on the Riddler character per se though, I have complete faith that Nolan would come up with a worthy villain like The Joker. I agree with Univarn, until there's a formal announcement, I don't even pay attention to the swirling rumors.

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  8. Could Nolan contain the mania? Williams can act - he was great in Good Will Hunting - but he's also a wild man.
    And no, we positively don't want to see him in tights.

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  9. @Arlee
    yes, I know that many people like dark movies and superhero flicks sticking to their comics, but I personally don't think that films should offer pessimism and unnecessary brutality to moviegoers, especially to young kids and young people. I liked the first BATMAN movies with Keaton and Kilmer, because although they were dark in a way, their main focus was on entertainment and fantasy, not on pathological violence. Glad you agree with me on Robin in ONE HOUR PHOTO, it was a very intelligent performance from him.

    @Jaccsy
    and start working as Mrs. Doubtfire somewhere? :))

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  10. @Falen
    read what I said to Arlee :)

    @Univarn
    well, if you recall, it was the same before Joker was announced in DARK KNIGHT, dozens of young actors were rumored for the role :)

    @Kelly
    yes, it's always interesting when we find out about the actors who were in contest for some of the popular roles.

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  11. @Avalon
    yep, they've should've stopped before BATMAN BEGINS.

    @Flixy
    who knows maybe they'll surprise us with Catwoman instead of the Riddler :)

    @Alex
    the man said it himself - he wouldn't like us seeing him in tights :)

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  12. it certainly would be hard to top the dark nature of the latest batman film. williams doesn't seem to fit. williams is a talent, but i'm getting a little tired of recycled actors. how about an unknown in a big role? i know that won't happen, since casting is all about big names, but i can hope:)

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  13. Every time I see Robin Williams, I think, "Na-noo Na-noo." (Mork & Mindy.)

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  14. I love Robin Williams! I agree with his thoughts on being too hairy for tights though. LOL

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  15. @Ed
    well, unknowns often lower the possible success of a big movie, but I'm also tired of many Hollywood faces and I don't have anything against giving a chance to young hopes, but only if they have the true talent and charisma (which is most often not the case).

    @Nat
    who are Mork and Mindy? :)

    @RaShelle
    he could always shave his legs :)))

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  16. now i know you haven't seen all of Dark knight, and though it has it's pessimistic moments, there are quite a few scenes that offer up great moments of hope and humanity towards the end. After watching the whole thing, i felt it was much more a movie showing the strength of the human spirit than a movie portraying pessimism.

    Kind of a "the light shines brightest in the dark" sort of deal.

    Also, the ratings system is in place so the darkness isn't offered up to unsuspecting children.

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  17. yes, Falen, but you will agree that probably 80% of DARK KNIGHTS biggest fans and viewers were underaged boys from 10 to 18 years old, and I don't like when they are exposed to such kind of movies. It just ain't right when boys are exposed to brutal knights and crazy villains whom they see as role models and heroes, girls to saber toothed vampires whom they see as perfect lovers, young kids to violent robots whom they see as uber-cool, moviegeeks to inglorious assassins and taboo breaking brutal movies which awake their darkest instincts and degrade their ethics and human values.

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  18. Mork & Mindy- TV show in the late 70's, early 80's. They used to show reruns when I was a kid. Robin Williams plays an alien who comes to Earth and falls in love with a human girl: http://nickshell1983.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/435_mork.jpg

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  19. What about Ahbed from community. He could do the riddler, I bet.

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  20. While I am a huge fan of Robin Williams, I would not want him in this role. The dark nature of the latest films is necessary, and although Robin has done some truly epic performances that were dark, I doubt he would take this as seriously as it needs to be. Heath Ledger set the tone, and the next round of villians had better live up to it.

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  21. @Budd
    hey, Budd welcome to HOLLYWOOD SPY. I'm afraid I have no idea who Ahbed and Community are :)

    @Eric
    Welcome to Hollywood Spy :) I think I'm one of the few people who didn't really like Heath's role, probably because I loved Jack Nicholson's Joker so much, and I just didn't like seeing a psycho Joker instead of the funny and witty one. I didn't see any charm in Heath's performance, although I loved his acting in THE BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN.

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  22. sigh. stupid blogger deleted my comment. Let me try and rewrite it...

    I don't disagree with any of your points.
    But to me, batman has always been a dark comic, and to lighten it for the purpose of making it "safer" for an unintended audience, seems to me a form of censorship, which i am completely against in all forms.

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  23. my deleted post sounded a lot better... sigh

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  24. I'm sure Robin Williams will do justice to the part. But I still think Jack was the best...

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  25. I love Robin Williams. That would be an interesting role for him. He might need to get darker in his humor.

    You need to tell me why you don't like Nolan's take on Batman. Is Tim Burton you uncle or something?

    email me, I would like to discuss your thoughts.

    reviewsyoucantuse@gmail.com

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  26. @Falsy
    ah, Blogger can get naughty sometimes :( especially when they erase a whole post you were preparing for publishing in the middle of the process :(

    @Nadir
    Amen to that, Jack was truly the best.

    @Powdered Toast Man
    I'm afraid Burton isn't my relative (neither is Hellena Bonham Carter :)). But you will have to forgive me this time - it would be really difficult and nerve wrecking for me to discus the movie furthermore - I just don't have the strength for that. That's why I rarely reveal my dislike for DARK KNIGHT, because I know how many people basically worship Nolan and that flick.

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