Batman — a hero so celebrated that the amount of adaptations revolving around him transcends that of any other superhero, making him one of the mostfrequently adaptedsuperheroes of all time, complete with prolific actors’ interpretations of the Caped Crusader,each one exceptionalin their own way. However, Batman wouldn’t be as hailed had one character not stuck around, generating epic messes for our dearest vigilante to take care of. To describe, he is persistently loyal to the hero, not in the trustworthy Robin or Alfred way, but rather in the wicked Joker or Bane means, and he’s none other than the Penguin.
As a matter of fact, the Penguin, too, has seen many iterations throughout the various Batman adaptations released over the years.Danny DeVito’s iconic depiction of the supervillainin 1992’sBatman Returnsis, without a doubt, unforgettable. Yet, Colin Farrell’s incarnation as the Penguin in the rather Oscar-snubbedThe Batmanin 2022 is not to be overlooked either, for without his sterlingness in embodying the crime lord, Matt Reeves, the movie’s director, wouldn’t even consider pitching the concept of a sequel film exploring his character further. But the studio executives had an even better idea: togive the villain a solo spin-offminiseries titledThe Penguin. And here’s everything we know about the upcoming show.
The Penguin: The Plot
Seeing as it is a miniseries rather than a feature-length film and that it’s still in the middle of production, the revealed premise is concise yet generic. Taking place one week following the events ofThe Batman,The Penguinfollows the titular character’s rise to power in Gotham City’s (still flooded and somewhat underwater) criminal underworld, which sounds about right since, in the flick, he is not yet the crime kingpin we’ve come to know.
HBO Max’s head of originals, Sarah Aubrey, shared withVarietythat as a follow-up toThe Batman,The Penguinwill fit in the timeline between the movie and its planned sequel. She added, “The goal of this is to show what Oz’s life is like and that’s very much in the streets of Gotham, trying to get up and over as only the Penguin can. As a hustler and a strategist with his own ambitions.” In addition, the series will further explore Penguin’s “awkwardness, strength, and villainy.” Slated to run for eight episodes,The Penguinis bound to employ some storylines of the comics for sure, yet like usual, only when the crime-drama show premieres will we find out to what extent the adaptation will adhere to the source.
Related:Matt Reeves' The Penguin: What Storylines Might We See?
The Penguin: The Cast
Like all series,The Penguinhas its main and recurring cast. Let’s start with the leads first, shall we? As mentioned earlier, Colin Farrell will make use of his outstanding acting prowess and continue his streak of stellar performance as Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot, a.k.a Penguin, in this well-deserved show of his. The actor has expressed great enthusiasm for reprising and delving deeper into the role, for he felt that his exploration of the character inThe Batmanwas nothing but, mind the pun, the “tip of the iceberg.” Once again, Farrell will realistically transform into the Penguin courtesy of the outstanding makeup team.
Related:Why Colin Farrell Was the Best Actor of 2022
Next, for the leading lady, we have Cristin Milioti (Palm Springs) portraying Sofia Falcone, the daughter of Carmine Falcone, fighting with Cobblepot for control of Gotham after her father’s death. Based on the circulating behind-the-scenes images, specifically with the two leads in a restaurant, it’s a bit ambiguous to assume that Sofia will be Cobblepot’s love interest. However, there’s some possibility in that idea, and one wouldn’t completely rule the romance out.
Reportedly, shifting from the landscape of Marvel to DC,Marvel’s Runaways’ Rhenzy Feliz will join the series as a lead, opposite Farrell and Milioti. Though his role is undisclosed, it’s believed that he will be a teen whom Cobblepot befriends and makes his driver.
As we move to the recurring bunch,The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s star Michael Zegen will also appear inThe PenguinasSofia’s brother, Alberto Falcone. The charismatic Clancy Brown plays Salvatore Maroni, Gotham’s powerful mob boss slash gangster, notoriously known for disfiguring the good-turned-bad Harvey Dent.
Then, the spree of secrecy resumes as James Madio, Scott Cohen, Michael Kelly, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Deirdre O’Connell, and Theo Rossi have been cast in undisclosed roles. Also, here to answer what’s probably the second biggest question surrounding the show’s casting, it has yet to be confirmed whether Robert Pattinson will pop up as Batman inThe Penguin.
Release Date
No specific release date has been announced, butThe Penguinis set to be released on HBO Max, probably sometime in late 2023 or early 2024.
Everything Else We Know
Even though the idea of the project was initiated by Reeves,The Penguin’s creator and writer honor falls to Lauren LeFranc, who has had a similar creative experience during her work inAgents of S.H.I.E.L.D.andHemlock Grove.
However, Reeves will serve as the executive producer, along with LeFranc, Farrell, Dylan Clark, Daniel Pipski, Bill Carraro, and Craig Zobel, who’s also the director of the first three episodes. The series is produced by Reeve’s 6th & Idaho Productions and Dylan Clark Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.
As the filming already began in New York City in early March this year, several pictures of the series’ behind-the-scenes, particularly that of Farrell and Milioti, are currently spread all over the internet. The filming is expected to last until about mid-2023.
