Colin Farrell opens up about reading the script for the first episode of The Penguin. Matt Reeves' The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson as a brooding Bruce Wayne, was released in theaters this past March. Though Paul Dano's Riddler was the film's principal villain, Farrell also received heaps of praise for his unrecognizable and over-the-top turn as Oswald Cobblepot, aka the Penguin. Reeves' reboot was received so well by critics and fans alike that it launched its own Batman universe with two direct sequels planned and two spinoff series in development for HBO Max.
Soon after The Batman's phenomenal opening weekend, The Penguin spinoff show was greenlit by Warner Bros. for HBO Max with Farrell returning in the titular role. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. alum Lauren LeFranc was announced as writer and showrunner with Reeves on board as an executive producer. The project went quiet for an extended period until recently, when The Penguin spinoff found a director in Mare of Easttown's Craig Zobel. Now, it appears The Batman spinoff is continuing to make progress.
During a recent interview with Collider promoting The Banshees of Inisherin, Farrell opened up about reading the script for the first episode of The Penguin spinoff. The Batman star teased the tone of the show, calling it "tasty" and "unusual." Read what he said below:
I read the first episode, which is just so tasty and so unusual as the character was on the page and what Matt Reeves kind of envisioned when he was thinking of this iteration of the bang up of Oz.
What The Penguin's Tone Reveals About The Batman Spinoff
In a separate interview, Farrell also revealed The Penguin spinoff takes place "a week after The Batman ends" as "Gotham is still somewhat underwater" due to the Riddler's terroristic plot to flood the city. Now, Farrell is teasing a "tasty" and "unusual" tone for the series which is also expected to explore the Penguin's origins and his rise to becoming Carmine Falcone's chief lieutenant. In fact, early reports described the spinoff as a “Scarface-like” origin story.
While official plot details are still under wraps, it seems The Penguin will continue putting unexpected twists on the iconic villain. However, with Reeves on board as an EP and Farrell returning in his unrecognizable role, the spinoff should maintain everything that made The Batman so beloved, mainly Reeves' darker depiction of Gotham City. With Farrell set to read more scripts very soon and begin shooting in 2023, hopefully more information about The Penguin spinoff surfaces very soon.
Source: Collider
