In 2022, Matt Reeves breathed new life into the iconic character of the Dark Knight. The Batman once again proved that a more adult approach to the superhero genre can bring success.
In his film, Reeves put forth a fresh look not only on Bruce Wayne and Catwoman but also Oswald Cobblepot, AKA Penguin. One of Gotham’s most iconic criminals has appeared multiple times in films and series about Caped Crusader. So far, the most famous interpretation of this character has belonged to Danny DeVito in Tim Burton’s Batman Returns.
In Matt Reeves’ film, Colin Farrell took on the role and he was almost unrecognisable under a thick layer of makeup. The new version of the Penguin spoke so strongly to audiences that HBO decided to create a series covering the gangster’s march for power in Gotham City.
We rounded up for you all the essential information about this new production from the DC universe.
The Penguin potential release date
HBO hasn’t yet set any exact release date for the series. Initially, The Penguin was supposed to hit Max in the spring of 2024, but the premiere was pushed back. Most likely, the show will debut on the service in the fall of 2024.
HBO
The Penguin plot
The series will pick up right after the finale of The Batman movie. The clash with the Riddler led Gotham City to ruin, with large areas of the city ending up underwater. Chaos also reigned in the criminal underworld, which, after the death of the mafia boss Carmine Falcone, was left without leadership.
Everything indicates that in the new HBO series, Penguin will try to take over power in the world of criminals – the creators describe the project as a Scarface-like story.
As Sarah Aubrey, Max head of originals, said in an interview for Variety:
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. It is a great example of having the time over eight episodes to tell a longer-arc character story with a lot of delicious twists and turns and new characters. It’s very much going to be about Gotham at that street level because he’s not flying around like Batman does. We are all embracing that as a very specific experience for audiences to have.
Even more interesting is that The Penguin will serve as an introduction to The Batman: Part Two. It seems that the series is planned to be a must-see for all fans of the rebooted Dark Knight franchise.
The Penguin trailer
For now, HBO has released only a short teaser for the show:
The Penguin cast and crew
There is still not much known about the cast, however the following actors are confirmed to star in The Penguin:
Colin Farrell – Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot / The Penguin
Cristin Milioti – Sofia Falcone, the daughter of Carmine Falcone
Michael Kelly – Johnny Vitti, the underboss of the Falcone crime family
Clancy Brown – Salvatore Maroni, a mob boss
Michael Zegen – Alberto Falcone, Carmine’s son and Sofia’s brother
Rhenzy Feliz – Victor Aguilar
Deirdre O’Connell
Fans of the DC universe have been wondering if Robert Pattinson will appear in the series as Batman. It’s not certain if he will, but if he does we think it will only be a cameo.
The series is created by Lauren LeFranc. Matt Reeves and Colin Farrell serve as the executive producers, among others.