Capitalizing on The Batman‘s box office success, HBO Max has officially confirmed that the previously reported spinoff starring Colin Farrell‘s Penguin has received a straight-to-series order. Titled The Penguin, the limited series will expand on Farrell’s small, but pivotal role in The Batman and explore the inner-workings of the mobster as he capitalizes on the power vacuum created by the events of the film. The spinoff will be executive produced by Farrell, Dylan Clark, and The Batman director Matt Reeves.
“Colin exploded off the screen as the Penguin in ‘The Batman,’ and having the chance to thoroughly explore the inner life of that character on HBO Max is an absolute thrill,” Reeves said in a statement provided by HBO Max. “Dylan and I are so excited to work with Lauren in continuing Oz’s story as he grabs violently for power in Gotham.”
As for Ferrell, he’s ready to step back into the role’s prosthetics that made him completely unrecognizable as the iconic Batman villain.
“The world that Matt Reeves created for ‘The Batman’ is one that warrants a deeper gaze through the eyes of Oswald Cobblepot,” Farrell said in a statement. “I couldn’t be more excited about continuing this exploration of Oz as he rises through the darkened ranks to become The Penguin. Will be good to get him back on the streets of Gotham for a little madness and a little mayhem.”
The Penguin series order arrives on the heels of recent confusion over the state of The Batman spinoffs. In interviews to promote the film, Reeves revealed that the previously announced Gotham PD spinoff was not happening. However, he clarified those remarks by saying the show has “evolved” to focus on Arkham Asylum instead of the Gotham police.
As for The Penguin, the status of that show didn’t seem in question until the Gotham PD news threw the current state of the spinoffs into flux. However, it appears Warner Bros. and HBO Max are fully aboard the project.
The Batman is currently playing in theaters.