This series has the hallmark signs of HBO’s greatest works if it is done properly. The Penguin series, the sequel to The Batman, was officially unveiled a few days ago by HBO, and, if it done right, it should be an absolutely amazing show.
Matt Reeves is really killing it as the director of The Batman mini-DC universe.
As many have probably seen by now, The Penguin had its first trailer officially released by HBO and I have to say that the show looks FANTASTIC! From the dark, gritty interpretation of Gotham City, the nasty, complicated, and morally grey tone to the undercity and the criminals within, and to the amazing Penguin prosthetics on Colin Farrell, Matt Reeves had already mastered the legendary Gotham City and its iconic characters in last year’s The Batman.
Watching Robert Pattinson’s heavily detective-focused Batman sift through the scum, dirt, and downright rotten areas of Gotham as he raced to find The Riddler before he enacted his city-destroying plans was one of the most entertaining and enjoyable things to come out of DC Studios in the last 15 or so years.
Truly, Matt Reeves brought back what DC comics are all about to the big screen as he replaced the goofy, CGI-stuffed interpretation of DC, Batman, and Gotham City from Zack Snyder’s DCEU with his own rugged, masterful vision of the city.
Along with Todd Philip’s Joker (which is also getting a sequel coming in 2024), Matt Reeves has helped to resurrect the best elements of the DC that Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy, Tim Burton and Michael Keaton’s Batman duology, and Christopher Reeve’s Superman films made famous.
Nevertheless, as for this series, there really isn’t that much I can say right now as the trailer was not only just a minute and a half long, but also the series isn’t set to come out for another year. Still, from the few clips and behind-the-scenes looks shown, the series looks absolutely amazing.
Again, I love the grittier, dark, realistic, and depressing take on Gotham City as for a city to need a larger-than-life, heroic superhero like Batman to fight off the numerous criminals, then the city has to be an extremely dark, depressing, and hopeless place.
Moreover, I have to say that the prosthetics put on Colin Farrell look absolutely fantastic as the HBO make-up artists have been able to transform 2X Golden Globe winning actor Colin Farrell into a degenerate, crippled, short, vicious, and extremely ugly Oswald Cobblepot.
It’s not the absolutely hideous, monstrous Danny Devito Penguin from the Tim Burton and Michael Keaton movies, but this is what I’d imagine Cobblepot to look like if he was a real-life deformed mob boss.
Anyways, the story itself seems pretty interesting as Penguin will be trying to take up the mantel as “The Godfather of Gotham” after the death of Carmine Falcone in The Batman with numerous other crime bosses also vying for the same title. A good starting concept, right?
I’ll be really happy if Batman makes an appearance in the series as he’s obviously going to play a massive part in a Gotham crime story whether he’s actually in the heat of the action or as a mysterious, ever-knowing peripheral figure. Plus, the chemistry between Farrell’s Cobblepot and Pattinson’s Batman during the few scenes the pair had with one another (aka: that car scene) was really good in The Batman.
Anywho, I can’t wait to watch this series as it not only has the makings to be the greatest live-action DC T.V. show ever, but also one of the best HBO shows too.
Images Source: Featured Image: (DC Studios/HBO) (The Penguin | In-Production Teaser | Max – YouTube)
