Whether you loved The Batman (2022) or thought it was overhyped, it’s hard to find anyone who didn’t at least enjoy Colin Farrell’s unique take on the Penguin.
So, when it came time to pitch a spin-off, Farrell’s scene-stealing crime boss seemed the natural choice. He steals your attention anytime he’s on the screen, and who doesn’t love an epic crime drama?
Details on the new TV series following Oswald Cobblepot are scant at present, but we’ve managed to dig up a bit of info to whet the appetite.
Has The Penguin Been Greenlit?
Yes, The Penguin is in post-production as of the time of this writing, so go ahead and get excited. This isn’t one of those things they announce, and then everyone forgets about it; it’s actually happening.
Filming has already wrapped, and now it’s simply a matter of waiting for the release date.
How Did The Batman End?
The Penguin is set in the immediate aftermath of The Batman, following “Oz” Cobblepot as he attempts to take control of Gotham’s underworld following the death of crime lord Carmine Falcone (John Turturro).
The movie ends with The Riddler (Paul Dano) sending Falcone to sleep with the fishes, as it were, and Cobblepot seemingly escaping to a high-rise penthouse following the flooding of the city.
The Penguin Season 1 Plot (and Spoilers!)
Colin Farrell has suggested that The Penguin will be something of a character study, something along the lines of You or Mr. Robot, exploring the layered personality of the iconic kingpin.
The central conflicts driving this character study forward will be supplied through Oswald’s rivalries with competing crime bosses, including Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti), daughter of Carmine.
Sofia debuted in the classic comic book miniseries The Long Halloween, suggesting that the first season could take some notes from that series.
The Long Halloween told the story of “The Holiday Killer,” a villain known for murdering Gotham residents in correlation with various holidays.
The Penguin Season 1 Cast
While Robert Pattinson’s Batman has not been officially confirmed to return for The Penguin, rumor has it that he’s been spotted hanging around the set.
Whether Pattinson was there to take part in filming or just to say hi, we’ll have to wait and see. Thus far, the producers have been playing their cards close to their chest, no doubt in hopes of surprising us with returning characters from the film.
Besides Sofia Carmine, we’ll also be meeting her brother Alberto Falcone (Michael Zegen) and rival gangster Salvatore Maroni (Clancy Brown).
If you have an eye for character actors, additional cast members listed on IMDB include Theo Rossi (Sons of Anarchy) and Michael Kelly (House of Cards), among others.
The Penguin Season 1 Episodes
The Penguin has been announced for an eight-episode run for its first season.
No story details are available, but the first three episodes have been credited to director Craig Zobel (American Gods, Mare of Easttown) and writer Lauren LeFranc (Impulse).
We can live with eight episodes, although we hope there are more!
The Penguin Season 1 Trailer
The freshest trailer we’ve seen so far is the teaser released back in 2023, where we listen to the Penguin monologue before shooting a rival and having a nice big belly laugh about it.
More than anything, the teaser serves to remind us of how much fun it is to watch Farrell chewing the scenery as everyone’s favorite flightless felon.
Check it out.
The Penguin Season 1 Release Date
All we know at present is that The Penguin should be streaming in late 2024.
No specific date has been announced, but TV’s fall season kicks off in September, so expect it sometime shortly after summer.
The show began filming back in March of 2023 but had to be suspended due to the writers’ strike, eventually wrapping in February of 2024.
Where to Watch The Penguin Season 1
The Penguin will be coming to the Max streaming platform alongside other DC shows like Peacemaker and Lanterns.
It’s been true since at least as far back as the Adam West series: The villains are the best part of Batman. We tune in to see Vince Price’s Egghead or Cesar Romero’s Joker more so than the heroes.
Between Gotham, Joker, and The Penguin, we’ve now got three unique takes on this setting where the villains are free to wreak havoc and raise heck without the Bat coming along to spoil the fun.
Of all the baddies in Gotham, the Penguin may be the character most suited to carrying a long-form TV drama, possessing the right balance of charisma, brains, and ambition.
It’s hard to imagine the Joker staying that focused on one goal for more than a couple of episodes, and the Riddler simply makes it a little too easy to catch him, handing clues directly to the police and all.
If you can’t wait to see more Penguin, check out The Batman vs. Dracula (2005), an animated film featuring Tom Kenny (Spongebob Squarepants) as The Penguin.
Kenny is a delight playing the Penguin as Renfield to Peter Stormare’s Count Dracula, and the film is definitely worth a watch if you’re a fan of the character.
What do you think? Are you excited to see more of Colin Farrell’s Penguin? Or are you more interested in James Gunn’s take on the DC universe? Sound off, and let us know!
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Gilbert Smith is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. You can follow him on X.
