Penguin TV series reportedly in the works at HBO Max

Colin Farrell as Penguin in The Batman
(Image credit: Warner Bros./DC)

The Batman is reportedly getting another spinoff series, with a HBO Max show about the Penguin said to be in the works.

Variety broke the news, and adds that Colin Farrell is not yet signed on to the series, but has been approached to star. According to the report, the show would explore Penguin's rise through Gotham's underworld, with Deadline saying the series is said to be "Scarface-like." The project is early in development. 

The Batman director Matt Reeves and producer Dylan Clark are set to executive produce, with Warner Bros. Television producing, and Lauren LeFranc attached as showrunner. She previously wrote on Marvel's Agents of SHIELD and was showrunner for YouTube Premium original Impulse.

The Batman already has one spinoff series in development: a prequel series focused on corruption in the Gotham City Police Department for HBO Max, showrun by Joe Barton. It's difficult to predict if the Penguin series would be another prequel or not, though. Farrell has indicated he doesn't have much screen time in The Batman, and set photos show him alongside crime boss Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), so it doesn't seem he's become an infamous villain in his own right just yet. In that case, it's entirely possible that the series would pick up after The Batman.

This also wouldn't be Farrell's first TV show. He recently starred in The North Water, True Detective, and Fargo, and on the big screen, is famous for his roles in In Bruges, Seven Psychopaths, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

The Batman stars Robert Pattinson as the titular vigilante, with Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as the Riddler, Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon, and Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth.

The film is due out next March 22. Until then, check out how to watch DC movies in order for the ultimate movie marathon.

Molly Edwards
Entertainment Writer

I'm an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.