Warner Bros. Gives First Look At Colin Farrell And Supporting Cast In ‘The Penguin’ Miniseries Coming To Rebranded “Max”

JB Augustine |

May 8, 2023

Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot in The Penguin (2024), HBO Max

Warner Bros. subsidiaries DC Studios and HBO Max are undergoing a rebrand this year, but a number of the projects developed by the former two for the streaming service are still a go. The Penguin, a spinoff and continuation of Matt Reeves’ The Batman, is one of those, and WB recently offered a look at this series that’s grown in anticipation.

This first look at the miniseries, which will total eight episodes, comes in a teaser that shows some glimpses behind the scenes, Farrell back in the transforming makeup job, and new scenes from the show that reveal more of the cast. One of the prominent new faces is Renfield actress Shoreh Aghdashloo who plays an undetermined role in the underworld.

The mob in Gotham has a “new kingpin” in Oswald — who christens himself as such and fires two shots, implicitly killing someone off-screen who was in the way of his quest for power. He laughs but whatever is gained from his impetuous act is moot when he still has competition to worry about, especially from the old guard.

Remnants of the Falcone crime family persist in Gotham through Carmine’s daughter Sofia, played by Cristin Milioti, and his son Alberto, played by Michael Zegen. Sofia meets with Oz over drinks so she may try to smooth things over while her brother’s agenda is less clear, but it’s certain there are parties with a vested interest in removing Penguin from the picture.

Clancy Brown, the veteran character actor with vast experience in the DC Multiverse, primarily as the voice of Lex Luthor, was recently cast as Sal Maroni. The mobster best known for aiding in the descent of Harvey Dent into the madness of Two-Face was put away in a drug bust that elevated Falcone’s stature, so you know he has revenge on his mind.

The cast also includes Rhenzy Feliz, Michael Kelly, and Deirdre O’Connell. There’s no telling which one of them is playing Clayface, but it might not be any of them as the teaser didn’t give any indication of a murder mystery going down in a theater or a film studio — akin to the classic villain’s origin. Perhaps that is a secret subplot they are waiting to spring on viewers.

The Penguin miniseries’ main concern is digging deeper into the mind and heart of Oswald Cobblepot to show more of his vulnerable side according to Farrell. Lauren LeFranc runs and writes the show which will be directed by Craig Zobel. A premiere date is being determined but it will air on Max once the platform drops “HBO” from its name on May 23rd.