‘The Batman’: New Penguin Spinoff Series In The Works At HBO Max

Iconic Batman villain The Penguin could be getting his own spinoff series on HBO Max, according to reports from Deadline and Variety.

Colin Farrell is set to portray the DC Comics supervillain in Matt Reeve’s upcoming feature The Batman and has apparently been approached to head up the proposed spinoff series, though a deal has yet to be signed. While the project is in its very early stages, Deadline reports that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. writer Lauren LeFranc is on board as showrunner with Reeves and Dylan Clark executive producing.

The Penguin, aka tuxedo-wearing mobster Oswald Cobblepot, is one of Batman’s most enduring enemies and has been portrayed on screen by Burgess Meredith in the 1960s TV series Batman, Danny DeVito in Batman Returns, and Robin Lord Taylor in Gotham.

Farrell’s Penguin in The Batman will portray the disfigured crime lord before he became the more familiar crime kingpin. The True Detective star is said to be “unrecognizable” in the role as he wore prosthetics and a fat suit, choosing to use the fat suit following a negative experience gaining weight for the TV drama The North Water.

The Penguin isn’t the only Batman-related project in the works at HBO Max. Last year, the streamer gave a series commitment to a drama set within the Gotham Police Department, exploring the complex characters and corruption across Gotham City. The series will be set within the same world as The Batman, with Reeves and Clark serving as producers and Joe Barton (Extinction) on board as showrunner.

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The Batman is scheduled for release in March 2022. It stars Robert Pattinson as the Dark Knight, Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as Riddler, Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, and Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth.

The Penguin, TBA, HBO Max