The Penguin starring Colin Farrell is an upcoming limited series that is a spin-off from the 2022 hit film, The Batman. The series explores the Penguin’s rise to power in Gotham City’s underworld. The series was announced in April 2023 when it was revealed that it was going to be released on the streaming service Max, the successor of HBO Max. It was originally supposed to be released in the Spring of 2024 but it will be delayed by the WGA and actors strikes.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DC SHOWS AND MARVEL SHOWS
When it comes to the popular streaming site, DC is one of the main suppliers of the superhero category on Max. When it comes to superhero film/TV-based projects, there has been a debate about how audiences have become tired of films being all about superheroes.
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According to HBO and Max content CEO Casey Bloys, he isn’t buying that notion. “I don’t know that it’s necessarily tentpole fatigue as much as it is a sameness of storytelling.” Bloys was recently asked about the state of the comic book corporate sibling’s production slate and also James Gunn’s take on Superman. He stated the following:
“I think the key, even within DC, is trying to tell different stories in different styles, to not try to do the same show over and over and over again. I would say Peacemaker is a very different show tonally than The Penguin. So, there’s not a uniformity to the storytelling and I think that helps.”
-Casey Bloys-
Regarding DC’s major rival, Marvel Entertainment, Bloys explains that even though the company has good shows, there are a lot of them. “That’s one of the advantages we have at Warner Bros. is it’s not just one set of stories. There’s a lot of stories you can go to.”
ALL ABOUT THE PENGUIN
There was no official release date for the anticipated Max dDC series. Now that the series has been delayed, according to senior critic Meghan O’Keefe from Decider, it is now eyeing a fall 2024 release. The Penguin began filming in March 2023 but it suspended production in June due to the strikes.
The series is set one week after the events that happened in The Batman and this is where we see Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot rise to power while Gotham City remains flooded. Colin Farrell once again reprises his role as the infamous character while Cristin Milioti will be playing Carmine Falcone’s daughter, Sofia Falcone. Clancy Brown has been cast as Salvatore Maroni and Michael Zegan will be playing Carmine’s son, Alberto Falcone. The Batman director Matt Reeves has spoken about how he’s excited to explore the inner world of the character.
“Colin exploded off the screen as the Penguin in The Batman. Having the chance to thoroughly explore the inner life of that character on Max is an absolute thrill. Dylan and I are so excited to work with Lauren [LeFranc] in continuing Oz’s story as he grabs violently for power in Gotham.”
-Matt Reeves-
Lauren LeFranc will write the script for the series and serve as showrunner. Reeves and producer Dylan Clark will serve as executive producers, along with Colin Farrell. Early on in the series, Reeves won’t be directing but an early episode will be directed by Craig Zobel.
The series will consist of eight episodes. No official date has been announced for the series but our best guess would be that if it’s going to be released in the Fall of 2024, it will probably be released between September and November.
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What do you guys think? Are you excited about The Penguin series? What do you think about the delays? Do you feel like there are too many superhero films? Let us know and don’t forget to check out our socials! If you like this article, make sure to follow us for more content.
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