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Jack Nicholson not happy with Heath Ledger?
As far as the first wave of Batman movies go, the 1989 Tim Burton one was the best. It was the barometer that Batman Begins was being held against (and most would say surpassed, but that's something not even I'm sure about...that's a whole other column entirely). Part of what made Batman so phenomenal was, of course, Jack Nicholson as the Joker. In a recent interview with MTV News (the bastion of journalism that it is), Nicholson said he was "furious" about not being approached to reprise his role.
MTV: What do you think of another actor, Heath Ledger, playing the Joker in next summer's "The Dark Knight"?
Nicholson: Let me be the way I'm not in interviews. I'm furious. I'm furious. [He laughs.] They never asked me about a sequel with the Joker. I know how to do that! Nobody ever asked me.
MTV: It was never brought up?
Nicholson: No. It's like, in any area, you can't believe the reasons things do or don't happen. Not asking me how to do the sequel is that kind of thing. Maybe it's not a mistake. Maybe it was the right thing, but to be candid, I'm furious.
MTV: I'm surprised to hear you sounding competitive about a role like that.
Nicholson: Well, the Joker comes from my childhood. That's how I got involved with it in the first place. It's a part I always thought I should play.
It's really hard to tell with Nicholson if he's being serious or not. On the one hand, I could see him really being pissed. But on the other hand, I don't know if he would really want to have done it anyway, since he gushes about Tim Burton, who isn't attached to the Batman franchise reboot.
MTV: Will you see the new film?
Nicholson: I'm not inclined to watch it because of what I said. But if it's a good movie, I'll catch up with it somewhere. I don't think they ever really captured Tim Burton's spirit [since he stopped being involved]. They kind of drove the franchise into the ground. Tim Burton's a genius. He had the right take on it. That's why I did the movie. I did the movie based on a single conversation with him. We both come from the cartoon world originally. We had similar ideas. Tim said [the Joker] should have a humorous dark side to him. [Burton is] one of the great moviemakers. I think the world of him. He's the most unassuming man. And he doesn't feel pressure. That's what I love about him. Once he's in there, he's smiling making the movie. That's it!
Originally, I was also a little perturbed that Nicholson was not going to be the Joker, but now I think that's a good thing. Burton's Joker was much more theatrical, while Nolan's Joker is much more maniacal. Not saying that Ledger and Nicholson couldn't switch and be fine. I'm just saying it would be weird to see Nicholson play two different Jokers.
Nicholson not the Joker
As far as the first wave of Batman movies go, the 1989 Tim Burton one was the best. It was the barometer that Batman Begins was being held against (and most would say surpassed, but that's something not even I'm sure about...that's a whole other column entirely). Part of what made Batman so phenomenal was, of course, Jack Nicholson as the Joker. In a recent interview with MTV News (the bastion of journalism that it is), Nicholson said he was "furious" about not being approached to reprise his role.
MTV: What do you think of another actor, Heath Ledger, playing the Joker in next summer's "The Dark Knight"?
Nicholson: Let me be the way I'm not in interviews. I'm furious. I'm furious. [He laughs.] They never asked me about a sequel with the Joker. I know how to do that! Nobody ever asked me.
MTV: It was never brought up?
Nicholson: No. It's like, in any area, you can't believe the reasons things do or don't happen. Not asking me how to do the sequel is that kind of thing. Maybe it's not a mistake. Maybe it was the right thing, but to be candid, I'm furious.
MTV: I'm surprised to hear you sounding competitive about a role like that.
Nicholson: Well, the Joker comes from my childhood. That's how I got involved with it in the first place. It's a part I always thought I should play.
It's really hard to tell with Nicholson if he's being serious or not. On the one hand, I could see him really being pissed. But on the other hand, I don't know if he would really want to have done it anyway, since he gushes about Tim Burton, who isn't attached to the Batman franchise reboot.
MTV: Will you see the new film?
Nicholson: I'm not inclined to watch it because of what I said. But if it's a good movie, I'll catch up with it somewhere. I don't think they ever really captured Tim Burton's spirit [since he stopped being involved]. They kind of drove the franchise into the ground. Tim Burton's a genius. He had the right take on it. That's why I did the movie. I did the movie based on a single conversation with him. We both come from the cartoon world originally. We had similar ideas. Tim said [the Joker] should have a humorous dark side to him. [Burton is] one of the great moviemakers. I think the world of him. He's the most unassuming man. And he doesn't feel pressure. That's what I love about him. Once he's in there, he's smiling making the movie. That's it!
Originally, I was also a little perturbed that Nicholson was not going to be the Joker, but now I think that's a good thing. Burton's Joker was much more theatrical, while Nolan's Joker is much more maniacal. Not saying that Ledger and Nicholson couldn't switch and be fine. I'm just saying it would be weird to see Nicholson play two different Jokers.
Nicholson not the Joker
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