Over the weekend, in news pretty much everyone saw coming, both Cher and Johnny Depp have pooh-poohed rumors about their taking on the roles of Batman villains Catwoman and the Riddler (yes, respectively) in a Dark Knight follow-up. Perez Hilton got the scoop on Cher after her Caesars Palace show; once he finally manages to bring himself to stop gushing about the wonders of the woman's stagecraft, he drops a to-the-point "P.S. She's not playing Catwoman!" Depp, for his part, seems piqued by the possibility: While admitting there's been no actual discussion, he says "It seems like it'd be a fun gig for a while" (ever crafty, dude's already thinking sequels for movies he's not even a part of).

Which leaves the venerable Philip Seymour Hoffman, cast (by the Internet) in the role of Penguin. Mysteriously, he's said nothing. Is he too busy being all high-class (and decidedly un-Reillian) at rehearsal for the West End play he's directing to address Internet rumors? Or, far more likely, is there something more secretive going on? Is Hoffman already months deep into some hard-core Method acting for the role, perhaps living amongst actual penguins in their native Antarctica? It's either that or he's silently angling for the recently vacated role of Catwoman.

Cher!!!!!!!! [Perez Hilton]
Johnny Depp on Riddler Casting Rumors: “It’d Be A Fun Gig” [/Film]
Earlier: We Are Kind of Worried About That Rumor About Batman, Johnny Depp, and Philip Seymour Hoffman
Latest Made-Up Rumors Suggest Cher Will Play Catwoman in Next Batman Movie