The Batmanwill hit theaters in just a few months, but HBO Max already has plans to expand this new vision of Gotham City.Varietyis reporting that Colin Farrell has signed on to reprise his role as Oswald Cobblepot in HBO Max’sPenguinspinoff series. Reports aboutThe Batman‘s latest spinoff first emerged in September, but Farrell wasn’t attached to the project at that time.
Writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane created Penguin in 1941, and he has become one of Batman’s most enduring adversaries. Despite his grotesque appearance, Penguin tends to spend time among Gotham City’s high-society members, while also using his assortment of trick umbrellas to commit crimes. In the firstBatmanlive-action TV seriesfrom 1966-68, Penguin was played by Burgess Meredith, while Danny DeVito took over the role in 1992’sBatman Returns. Robin Lord Taylor portrayed a younger Oswald Cobblepot in Fox’s 2014Gothamseries.
According to Variety, thePenguinseries will follow inGotham‘s footsteps by chronicling Oswald’s rise to power in the criminal underworld. Farrell will executive produce alongsideThe Batmandirector Matt Reeves and Dylan Clark. Lauren LeFranc will write the series and is also attached as the showrunner.
This will actually be Farrell’s second stint on an HBO series. He headlined the second season of HBO’sTrue Detective. Farrell’s previous film credits includeFantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them,Daredevil,The Lobster, andIn Bruges.
HBO Maxis already planning a separate spinoff fromThe Batman, which is centered on a corrupt member of the Gotham police department. That show will be set one year before the events ofThe Batman, but no stars have been confirmed for it yet. Reeves is also executive producing that unnamed spinoff, with Joe Barton slated to write the show and serve as the showrunner.
Presumably, Farrell could also reprise his role as Penguin in any sequels toThe Batman. Farrell has indicated that he only appears in a few scenes inThe Batman, which focuses on Batman (Robert Pattinson) and his conflict with both Riddler (Paul Dano) and Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz) during Bruce Wayne’s second year as the Dark Knight.
