Johnny Depp To Play The Riddler?

OK, this is exciting news and all, because we're talking about top notch actors here...not just box office draws (Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Carrey, Tommy Lee Jones, etc.) they used in the first round of Batman films.

Here's where the writers/directors/producers HAVE to get it right though.  One of the biggest reasons for the dismal movies in that last round of films was the failure to stay focused on the main character.  The mystery and darkness that surrounds Bruce Wayne/Batman turned into a joke. 

I just don't want to see the new set of films turn into nothing but an obvious attempt at luring the unsuspecting public to the theaters to see what other big actors they got to dress up in villian outfits and act poorly...I'm looking in your direction as well, Uma Thurman.

That being said, if there are more reputable actors out there than Depp and Hoffman, I have yet to see them.  Now, it is up to the writers/directors/producers...don't make it suck.

That is all.

good stuff:

Jarrett Martineau, I like this story. It's good stuff.

I was a little worried about the next Batman movie but I have complete faith in Johnny being able to pull of the Riddler. Lets hope its true. :)

I don't think the Penguin would be a very good villain choice. While Phillip Seymour Hoffman would make doing the dishes into compelling cinema, his abilities would be better spent, I think, with a different character.

Wow!  Would that ever be cool!

Lets face it, Depp can play anything. Having that much talent should be illegal.

I captured this gem at the San Diego Comic Con this past weekend. There were about 15 Riddlers running around, but he was the best (and only one I got a photo of).

chuckhustle has contributed a photo to this story.

I think Johnny Depp would make an excellent riddler. They should definitely ask him to play the part.

johnny rocks

ODDtaylor has contributed a photo to this story.

ei, lo amo taantisimo, no se dan una idea.es lo mas liiiindo que hay en el mundo.DIOS.!

julieta.diaz has contributed a photo to this story.

I love and hate Johnny Depp  for his "bad guy character" and because he is an awsome actor :-)

I love the idea of Johnny as the Riddler, as a character actor I think he would throw an interesting edge into the mix.

Also another possible great costume for me to add to my portfolio
which as a Johnny Depp look a like is always great

deppalike has contributed a photo to this story.

LOVE THIS MAN VERY VERY MUCH..................................
I WANT HIS FOR ME ONE DAY!!!

Flávia NarA has contributed a photo to this story.

I’ve been working out a script in my head that combines the following villains: Clock King, The penguin, the Riddler, Bane, Talia Al’Ghul.

And, as a rival vigilante: Azriel

Here’s the treatment so far:

Film opens with Temple Fuget (The clock king) walking into a Gotham corporation in broad daylight. He’s spent weeks casing the place, and has a series of watches strapped to his arm set with timers counting down moments of movement, ie, he has every employee/security guard’s habits down to the second so he knows when they’ll take a leak or look away from his desk. This brazen robbery goes perfectly, until he stumbles upon a couple getting randy in a supply closet he ducks into. It’s a clock hand blade for those poor bastards. The Clock king makes into the CEO’s office just as the guy goes to piss, downloads files onto a jump drive and walks right out again.

Meanwhile, in the narrows, we see a young man sitting in a dark, dreary apartment staring the wall. Suddenly the old, cracked TV set turns on revealing a wall of flames, a coin appears in the middle of the flames reading “St. Dumas”. A speaker recites rhetoric demanding the young man avenge those slain in the Clock King’s robbery, by decree of St. Dumas. The young man stands up, pulls his hood over his head and leaps from the window.

The Clock King meets with the last of Gotham’s mobsters not arrested or slain by the Joker, delivers the flash drive and is paid handsomely. The mobsters depart, Clock King is on his way out when he runs into Azriel. CK is amused, thinking it’s Batman and at worse he’s going to jail; until Azriel pops his arm blade and informs CK that “he has him confused with someone else.” Azriel kills CK, fulfilling the cause of vengance, and disappears.

Comissioner Gordon and his men show up to investigate the CK’s death. Gordon’s cops are all convinced it’s Batman but Gordon knows better. Batman and Gordon have a convo in the shadows (Gordon steps away, he’s started smoking since Two-face’s attack on his fam) and Batman pledges to find this new copycat killing bad guys.

The mobsters take the CK’s stolen flash drive to the one man left in Gotham who can help them: Oswald Cobblepot. See, Oswald was a mobster, but was smart enough to launder money the right way and go legit. Publicly, at least. Just don’t call him “the penguin” or you get shot. The Mobsters have stolen a database of all Gotham’s corporate ventures across the board, including Wayne Tech. Scared by Batman (even more scared by the Joker) they have a new plan: mix their illicit fortune with corporate money, thereby “buying” majority shares in Gotham’s top companies and ergo, “buying Gotham.” The penguin lets them know he has the smarts to help them, if he gets something out of it. A deal is struck.

The mayor, feeling public pressure, declares that since Batman is now seeming to kill on a whim, he can’t leave it up to Gordon’s discretion to bring the vigilante to justice. So he’s appointing a special investigator to track Batman down, a serial killer wiz who happens to have a knack for crossword puzzles and other newspaper brain-games. His name is Eddy LAST NAME and he’s been looking for a challenge like the Batman, whose motives are unknown, unfamiliar, original. Gordon thinks the guy is nuts.

Final thread: Bruce Wayne has nothing but Batman left in his life. He sits in the cave under Wayne Manor 24/7 working overtime to both eradicate the remaining, warring mobs, the new crops of costume crazies springing up, and bring Batman up to the stature of a hero. It’s draining him, more than anyone would like to admit. One night in the cave Bruce has an ill feeling and starts tossing Batarangs into the shadows. Sure enough, ninja have invaded the cave, seemingly aware of the Bat/Bruce connection. A quick fight ensues until a pair of hands clap and the ninja fall back: Talia Al Ghul makes her entrance. She gives Bruce a speech about how her father groomed her to be his successor (until he met Bruce) and how the League of Shadows had a splinter cell known as the Order of St. Dumas. When Ra’as fell, The Order was activated as plan B, and Azriel was dispatched to Gotham (the Joker’s appearance expedited the League’s plan, as Gotham appeared to be producing the worst evil imaginable.) Talia was curios about Bruce and so came to see for herself who this 1 in a million man was: she explains that he is the only man EVER to carry out the fight for justice at sacrifice to all else in his life. Azriel she explains, is a programmed sleeper soldier, only-semi aware of his vigilante actions, controlled by syblminal suggestions (The “program”) inculcated in him by The Order. Talia’s motives remain unclear, leaving Bruce wary, but, attracted nonetheless.

The rest I’m mapping out in my head but it involves The mob using the penguin’s contacts to hire Bane; Bats and Azriel having a physical/moral rivalry; Bane kicking the shit out of Batman; Azriel running around Gotham unchecked; Eddy the investigator realizing that Batman’s absence and Bruce Wayne’s “skiing injuries,” combined with Bruce’s tramatic history make him the Batman; Bruce using Azriel in the Bat suit to thwart Eddy’s theory, humiliating Eddy and driving him to become E. Nigma; Injured Bats recruiting Azriel to help stop Bane, forming a bond between the heroes; Bruce and Talia getting it on; Talia having a doomsday plan for Gotham should Azriel fail; E. Nigma using his smarts and cop credentials to aid the Mob and Penguin with their plan; Talia seeing how Bruce/Batman changes Azriel from an assassin to a hero and calling off the League of Shadows, believing that Batman can truly save Gotham’s soul (and she’s secretly crushing on Bruce.)

So what do you think? Good movie potential? (trying to hustle this script!)