“Can you imagine, to be remembered like that?”
The first proper trailer has been revealed for The Penguin, an upcoming DC-Comics-inspired drama which sees Irish actor Colin Farrell reprising his role as crime boss Oswald Cobblepot.
Fans will remember that Farrell first played the legendary DC villain The Penguin in Matt Reeves’s 2022 film The Batman, looking utterly unrecognisable under jaw-dropping prosthetics, going toe to toe with Robert Pattinson in the former Twilight star’s first outing as DC’s Dark Knight.
The Penguin is an eight-part series destined for Max, formerly known as HBO Max, over in the USA. Here in the UK, its home hasn’t been announced officially, but observant TV fans will know that HBO series generally end up on Sky TV and its streaming service NOW.
Plot details are thin on the ground, but the official press bumf tells us that the show “continues The Batman epic crime saga that filmmaker Matt Reeves began with Warner Bros Pictures’ global blockbuster The Batman, and centers on the character played by Farrell in the film.” No kidding!
The trailer itself is a lot more interesting than that synopsis. Take a look below and you’ll find yourself gripped by a tense 1 minute and 36 seconds of drama.
As Farrell’s Penguin recounts the story of a previous crime boss, who was so beloved that a parade was thrown in his name, the trailer intercuts shots of people screaming and explosions going off.
It’s clear that Gotham City is in for another rough few weeks while the show is on air. But with no mention of Pattinson’s Batman in the show’s cast list, who’s going to stand in Penguin’s way?
Joining Farrell in the cast are Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz, Michael Kelly, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Deirdre O’Connell, Clancy Brown, and Michael Zegen.
The show is executive produced by Matt Reeves and Colin Farrell themselves, along with Dylan Clark, Bill Carraro, Daniel Pipski, Lauren LeFranc (who is credited as writer and showrunner) and Craig Zobel (director of the first three episodes).
In terms of The Penguin release date, the trailer ends by telling us to expect the drama on our screens ‘this fall’. That’s autumn 2024 to anyone that doesn’t use the American lingo for such things.
Looking a little further down the line, The Batman 2 film is now expected to arrive in 2026. It’ll be interesting to see how The Penguin does or doesn’t play into it. We’re certainly looking forward to seeing more.
Read more:
- The Batman ending explained: How does Robert Pattinson film end?
- How to watch Batman movies in order and where to stream
- The Batman producer reveals there are “inevitably” ideas for sequels
- The Batman soundtrack – full list of music in DC Comics film
Check out more of our Sci-Fi or Film coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
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