The highly-anticipated release of The Penguin, the new blockbuster HBO Max series, drops today, and fans are on tenterhooks waiting to see Colin Farrell’s terrifying transformation.
Eerie, dark, gloomy and full of violence, the spin-off show based on the DC Comics Batman character is set to be a humdinger, with a cast full of stars and filmmaker Matt Reeves, who made 2022’s The Batman, an executive producer.
Plus, it’s now been two years since the last Batman film was released – and fans are more than ready to find out what happens next.
The Penguin is going to follow the life and crimes of mob boss Oswald Cobblepot, who comes to be known as the Penguin, as he rises to power in Gotham. Often listed as one of the best comic book villains of all time, Penguin is cruel, full of range, constantly surrounded by violent henchmen, and a master manipulator – aka not someone to cross lightly.
Here’s what to know about the new series.
When is the new season of The Penguin going to be released?
The Penguin is going to be released in the UK on Sky Atlantic and NOW on September 20.
Is there a trailer?
Yes, we’ve popped it at the top of the page.
The first trailer, which was released in May, is strikingly tense, setting the tone for the forthcoming series, as the Penguin speaks to an unknown character sitting just behind the camera, as knives are wielded, explosions fill the city sky, someone shoots a tied up body, as fights break out in cars and as a woman screams.
A kind of orange haze ripples behind a skyline, glimmering through window panes, or reflecting off a building’s façade. Most of the scenes are composed of shades of black, grey and dark browns – the Penguin’s face is almost a grimy dark yellow, or green; Gotham is depicted at nighttime, the skies are grey and it’s raining. And this is really the extent of the light in the forthcoming series – a brilliant way to bring home the fact that Gotham is an unhappy, dangerous, crime-ridden place.
What do we know about The Penguin’s plot?
The new series is set shortly after the events of The Batman, and follows the Penguin’s rise to power in Gotham.
“We wanted it to be, not in a grandiose way, but in a mythic Shakespearean way, this kind of great tale,” said Reeves, speaking at San Diego Comic-Con in July.
Showrunner Lauren LeFranc added: “It’s a Scarface story. It’s a rise-to-power story of Oz before he really makes it to the top.”
Who is going to be in the cast?
Oscar-nominated Colin Farrell, 47, is the Penguin in the new show – his most exciting role yet. And although we already saw Farrell play the Penguin in Reeves’s The Batman (2022), he had to share the screen with other acting powerhouses, including Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright and Andy Serkis.
In the new series this isn’t the case. His transformation is truly remarkable and judging by the trailer, the role is set to be one of the most important of his career.
“I swear to God, I still cannot see Colin Farrell under that makeup no matter how hard I squint. Probably one of the best makeup jobs in the history of cinema,” commented one fan under the trailer, summarising the general sentiment about Farrell’s phenomenal embodiment of the mobster.
The rest of the cast is also star-studded. There’s a haunted-looking Cristin Milioti (How I Met Your Mother) who will play Sofia Falcone, the daughter of late crime boss Carmine Falcone. Clancy Brown (Billions) will play mob boss Sal Maroni, Michael Zegen is Sofia’s brother Alberto, and Michael Kelly as Falcone underboss Johnny Vitti.
Mark Strong, François Chau (Lost), Carmen Ejogo (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them), Theo Rossi (Sons of Anarchy) and James Madio (Band of Brothers) will also feature in undisclosed roles.
Who has made the show?
The Penguin has been created by a stellar team: Reeves, whose movies include the terrifying Cloverfield (2008) and the ambitious Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), is an executive producer on the eight-part series.
Its showrunner, Lauren LeFranc, previously worked as a producer on Impulse, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Chuck and Hemlock Grove. And filmmaker Craig Zobel, whose credits include episodes of The Leftovers, American Gods, and Westworld, and the miniseries Mare of Easttown, is directing the first three episodes. Helen Shaver, who was nominated for an Emmy for directing Summer's End (1999) is also set to direct.
What have the critics said about The Penguin?
The Penguin reviews haven’t yet been published, but with the series’ release just around the corner, we assume they’ll be coming out very soon. We’ll update this section as soon as we know more.
