WIRE Buzz: The Batman's Jeffery Wright couldn't recognize Colin Farrell; Fangoria; The Multivorce

SYFY WIRE The Batman

WIRE Buzz: The Batman's Jeffery Wright couldn't recognize Colin Farrell; Fangoria; The Multivorce

By Jacob Oller

The Batman trailer held plenty for fans to analyze, unpack, and digest. Riddles are there to be solved, after all. But one of the biggest mysteries to come out of the trailer was a particular actor’s face. Was that really Colin Farrell playing the Penguin under all that makeup? Or was it someone else entirely? Well, hear it from someone that was on set: it was him.

Speaking on SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Show, actor Jeffrey Wright (who is playing Commissioner Gordon) spoke about shooting the film and that one, heavily-disguised co-star.

Take a look:

“I’ve worked with that make up artist before and it’s just incredible,” Wright said. “Colin walked on to set one day and I walked right past him. I was like ‘OK, hey dude what’s happening. Where’s Colin, are we going to shoot?’ It’s pretty remarkable.”

If fans thought that transformation was spectacular, the rest of the trailer should be just as impressive—simply because there hasn’t yet been any CG effectwork done with any of the footage. “I think if you look at the trailer, if I am not mistaken, there is not one CGI image in the entire thing,” Wright said, “That’s all photograph.”

The film will soon have even more to show fans as Wright notes that cast and crew “are supposed to be going back to work now next month.” The Batman is set to hit theaters on Oct. 2, 2021.


Next, beloved horror magazine Fangoria has found a new owner and they’ve already got some big plans.

After bumping heads with embattled previous owner Cinestate (whose Dallas Sonnier and others have come under scrutiny for troubling business practices and allowing sexual misconduct on several productions), Fangoria’s leadership presented an ultimatum that resulted in needing a new corporate home. They’ve found one under Wanderwell Entertainment CEO Tara Ansley and entrepreneur Abhi Goel.

The acquisition involves the Fangoria, Starlog, and Gorezone brands while retaining Editor-In-Chief Phil Nobile Jr. and Managing Editor Meredith Borders in charge of Fangoria Magazine (which will keep its quarterly print schedule). What this means for fans is that more Fango fun is on its way through film production, podcasts, and digital content — and that includes Starlog and Gorezone digital content too.

“These brands have been a foundational force in genre entertainment for decades, and have inspired, influenced, and shaped generations of filmmakers, writers, actors, and fans - ourselves included,” said Ansley in a release. “We will continue to honor Fangoria’s unparalleled legacy as we propel a future wave of talent and storytellers with an invigorating production and editorial slate that showcases the array of talent representative of our expansive community.”

The acquisition looks to launch its multimedia plan in 2021, looking at narrative and non-fiction content as well — all with an “eye on inclusivity and championing forward-thinking creators.”

“We are thrilled to take a fresh approach while still paying homage to the nail-biting stories we grew up on. There could not be a better time to propel these brands to exciting, culturally diverse new heights,” said Goel. "Not only are we forging into tantalizing new territories, but we are paving the way for global creators to share their varied heritages and perspectives in never-before-seen storylines that will leave genre fans hungry for more."


Finally, more adult-focused animation is headed to CBS All Access.

According to Deadline, the streaming home of Star Trek: Lower Decks is developing The Multivorce. It’s not Rick and Morty’s interdimensional TV, but a series from creators Kirker Butler (Family Guy) and Scott Mosier (The Grinch) about a family going through a divorce...and the mom happens to be a warrior queen of a Multivorce kingdom. So, ok, there will be ELEMENTS of Rick and Morty, since the dad is a sad sack loser. It’s like the Ghost of Rick and Morty Future.

No release date has yet been set for The Multivorce.