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‘The Batman’ Spinoff Series About Penguin in Early Development at HBO Max

HBO Max is developing a series about The Penguin that will be a spinoff of “The Batman” feature, Variety has learned from sources.

Colin Farrell is set to play the notorious supervillain in “The Batman.” According to sources, Farrell has been approached to star in the spinoff series but no deal is currently in place. Sources also say that Lauren LeFranc is attached to write the script for the project, which is in its very early stages.

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The show would supposedly delve into The Penguin’s rise to power in the Gotham criminal underworld. “The Batman” director Matt Reeves and the film’s producer Dylan Clark would executive produce the Penguin series under their 6th & Idaho and Dylan Clark Productions banners respectively. Warner Bros. Television would produce.

Reps for HBO Max declined to comment.

The Penguin, a.k.a. Oswald Cobblepot, is one of the most famous members of the Batman Rogues Gallery. On the live-action side, the character has previously been played by actors like Burgess Meredith, Danny DeVito, and Robin Lord Taylor.

Farrell has previously starred in television shows like “The North Water” and True Detective” Season 2. He is best known for his roles in films like “In Bruges,” “SWAT,” “The Lobster,” and “Seven Psychopaths.” He is repped by CAA, Ilene Feldman Management, Hansen Jacobson, and Kovert Creative.

LeFranc most recently served as showrunner on the YouTube Premium original series “Impulse.” Her other TV credits include “Agents of SHIELD,” “Chuck,” and “Hemlock Grove.” She is repped by CAA, Grandview, and Hansen Jacobson.

“The Batman” is due to hit theaters in March 2022 after being delayed multiple times due to the pandemic. Robert Pattinson is taking up the mantle of the Dark Knight, with Zoe Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, and Andy Serkis also among the film’s cast.

Should the Penguin show go forward, it would be the second spinoff series from “The Batman” at HBO Max. The streamer has already ordered a drama set within the Gotham Police Department, with Joe Barton attached as the showrunner. It is part of WarnerMedia’s attempt to launch a new interconnected Batman universe across all of its platforms.

There are several other DC shows in the works at HBO Max, including the “Suicide Squad” spinoff “Peacemaker” starring John Cena, a “Green Lantern” series from Greg Berlanti, and a “Justice League Dark” series from J.J. Abrams among others.

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