“Joel kind of changed my life,” Farrell said. “I read the script, loved it, and then I tried to talk Martin out of casting me,” Farrell said. Farrell has also managed to slip back into blockbuster territory, most memorably as the Penguin in Matt Reeves’ The Batman. Rhenzy Feliz (left) and Colin Farrell in HBO Max’s ‘The Penguin.’ Courtesy of HBOThe part proved strong enough to launch HBO’s spin-off The Penguin, where Farrell got to dive deep into the character. I’m really excited to see it.”Working on The Ballad of a Small Player also pushed Farrell into new territory.