Screenshot: Warner Bros./DC
The rise of Oswald Cobblepot should expand the world of Warner Bros.’ Batman on HBO Max. With the film grossing $134 million at the North American box office and $124 million internationally, the announcement came after director Matt Reeves revealed plans for the Gotham Central show had “evolved” into yet another spin-off series.
After it was announced last year that the series was in development, HBO confirmed that The Penguin – the working title – had received a series order. The show is produced by Matt Reeves, Dylan Clark, star Colin Farrell and Lauren LeFrank, who writes and serves as showrunner. “Colin has exploded off the screen as The Penguin in The Batman and being able to scrutinize this character’s inner life on HBO Max is an absolute thrill,” Reeves said of the announcement in an emailed press release. “Dylan and I are so excited to be working with Lauren to continue the story of Oz as he fights furiously for power in Gotham.”
Farrell’s Penguin is fast becoming a fan favorite, so it’s no wonder we’ll see Cobblepot rise to greatness during the events of the film’s hectic final act. “The world created by Matt Reeves for The Batman deserves a deeper look through the eyes of Oswald Cobblepot,” Farrell said in a press release. “I am very excited to continue this exploration of Oz as he rises through the dark ranks to become the Penguin. It will be good if he returns to the streets of Gotham for a little madness and a little chaos.”
Of course, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen the Penguin cause a little havoc on TV live. Fox’s Gotham previously offered an interpretation of the rise to power of the Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor) alongside the Riddler in the “Cloaked Crusader” prequel series. It remains to be seen this time if any involvement in Batman’s Riddler will be as intimate (the ship the Nigmobblepot has set sail, folks). However, there is a chance that we will see if this Penguin’s past is connected to the Riddler’s plans for Gotham, as well as his own plans for the Falcone crime family after the events of the film.
An even bigger question might be, will we see more Robert Pattinson as Batman or Bruce Wayne? Although this detail is omitted, the Penguin’s dynamic with the Bats and Gordon definitely carries some of the film’s more standout scenes – it would be interesting to see him appear elsewhere. We’ll tell you more about Penguin as we learn more about it.
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