With Matt Reeves’ The Batman set to arrive in a matter of months, Colin Farrell has signed on for an HBO Max spinoff series based on his character The Penguin. According to Variety, he has been tapped to both star in and executive produce the show.
While the series will reportedly dive into Penguin’s rise to power in the Gotham criminal underworld, it’s not clear if it will be a direct follow-up or a prequel. We’ll have to wait until The Batman hits theaters on March 4th, 2022 to see if the character is already a villain or just beginning his descent.
One of the most infamous members of Batman’s Rogues Gallery, the Penguin, aka Oswald Cobblepot, has a rich history of live-action portrayals. On the TV side, Burgess Meredith played the top-hat-and-monocle wearing baddie in the 1960s Batman series starring Adam West, while Robin Lord Taylor starred as a young Cobblepot on Gotham. Danny DeVito delivered his iconic take on The Penguin in 1992’s Batman Returns.
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Lauren LeFranc (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) is attached to write the script for this new incarnation, with Reeves and The Batman producer Dylan Clark serving as executive producers alongside Farrell.
The Penguin series is second spinoff from The Batman coming to HBO Max. Reeves has already signed on for a procedural centering around the Gotham City Police Department penned by Boardwalk Empire creator Terence Winter.
Fans recently got a new look at The Batman with a trailer that debuted during this year’s DC FanDome event. Besides giving a glimpse of an unrecognizable Farrell as The Penguin, the clip gave a preview of Paul Dano’s The Riddler, Zoe Kravitz’s Catwoman, and Andy Serkis’ Alfred. Also starring in the film are Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner Gordon, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone and Peter Sarsgaard as Gotham District Attorney Gil Colson.
