Depp, Hoffman Rumors Legit?

Here's Philip Seymour Hoffman's response to those Penguin rumors (via THE STONE REPORT):

Some friend of mine told me he read that [Hoffman as The Penduin rumor - Jett]. First I heard of it. I don’t think so."

“I grew up a comic book fan, so I love that stuff. I love going to that stuff. I think what they’re doing with that whole Batman story is really true to what that whole Batman thing has always been. It’s one of the darkest origins of a superhero, to get all nerdy and geeky on you. That character sees his parents gunned down as a young child. I remember when I was a kid reading that story, so seeing it now come to life as the dark tale that it really is as an intense, really dark, very visceral, adult tale that they’re doing now, all the great work people are doing on it, of course I wouldn’t say, ‘Well, no, no no.’ But I don’t know the reality of it, so I wouldn’t say ‘yes’ to you."

Remember, the Hoffman-as-The Penguin rumor has been around since about 2006 -- well before THE DARK KNIGHT was even filming. Honestly, I don't put much stock into it myself at this point, but just like Johnny Depp as The Riddler, I'd certainly welcome it if it panned out. Thanks to "Chris M." for the heads up...

Speaking of Oswald Cobblepott, I know Chris Nolan was quoted as saying that the character is too "unrealistic," I must beg to differ. Here's how I see him:

"Owner of 'The Iceberg Lounge' who fancies himself a Gotham aristocrat. Short of stature and possessing a huge, beak-like nose, Obblepott has acquired the moniker of 'The Penguin.' While outwardly a legitimate businessman, Cobblepott has long had ties to the Gotham City underworld. With Carmine Falcone incapacitated and the city’s other major mob bosses -- Sal Maroni, Gambol, and The Chechen -- dead, Cobblepot has now set his eyes on Gotham’s organized crime throne."

Or something like that...

Frank Miller's place in "Batman History" is secure, but I DO NOT want to see this man anywhere near a Batman film. Why? Well, he'd like Sylvester Stallone to play Batman in a film adaptation of his THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS. Uh, NO.

2:00 PM TEXAS TIME: You know how Sir Michael Caine likes to talk, right? Well, he's taking a bit about BATMAN 3 and is saying that the Johnny Depp and Philip Seymour Hoffman rumors are for real. Check this out (via MTV):

“When Christopher [Nolan] said we were going to do ‘The Dark Knight’ next, I didn’t what that meant in Batman terms,” related Caine, who plays Bruce Wayne’s loyal butler, Alfred Pennyworth. “I said, ‘What’s the story?’ and he said The Joker. I said, ‘Oh, s–t! How are you going to top Jack [Nicholson]?’ He said, ‘Well, I’ve cast Heath Ledger. And I went ‘Ha! I couldn’t top Jack, but if anyone could, maybe Heath could.’ And he did."

“I was with [a Warner Bros.] executive and I said, ‘Are we going to make another one?’ They said yeah. I said, ‘How the hell are we going to top Heath? And he says ‘I’ll tell you how you top Heath — Johnny Depp as The Riddler and Philip Seymour Hoffman as The Penguin.’ I said, ‘S–t, they’ve done it again!’” [Laughs]

Take that for what you will. But I'd certainly be down with the casting of Depp (He's actually one of my favorite actors) and Hoffman...