In this week’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo attempts an underworld power grab while discussing “The Penguin.” The Max series follows the events of “The Batman,” when Oz Cobb makes a play to seize the reins of the crime world in Gotham. The series stars Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz, Deidre O’Connell, Theo Rossi, Clancy Brown, Michael Kelly, and more. 

Continue reading ‘The Penguin’: Showrunner Lauren LeFranc Talks About Working With Colin Farrell, Season 2 & More [Bingeworthy Podcast] at The Playlist.

You may not have heard, but “The Penguin” has been a massive streaming and critical hit for HBO. So much so that many are wondering if what was expected just to be an episodic bridge between Matt Reeves‘ 2022 feature “The Batman” and the upcoming sequel could return for subsequent seasons. Colin Farrell, who had to undergo hours of makeup every day to portray the Gotham City mobster, has also now left the door open to reprising his role beyond “The Batman II.”

The Breakdown: Sign up for Gregory Ellwood’s new newsletter column and find out more about HBO’s 2025 season and where Casey Bloys thinks the streamer is going next.

Continue reading ‘The Penguin’: HBO ‘Hopeful’ For More Seasons…After ‘The Batman II’ at The Playlist.

Now that the world has seen “The Penguin” and nearly everyone fell in love with the series, the natural question gets asked—what about Season 2? Well, even though this was thought of as a one-shot story, it appears the folks behind the show are seriously contemplating the idea of returning with another season of the Colin Farrell-starring series. 

In a recent interview with THR, Matt Reeves, a producer on “The Penguin” and the filmmaker behind “The Batman,” opened up about the idea of continuing the series into a Season 2.

Continue reading Matt Reeves Teases Potential ‘Penguin’ Season 2, As James Gunn Denies A ‘Joker’ Series Is In The Works at The Playlist.

In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo goes deep undercover while discussing “Lioness.” The Taylor Sheridan-created Paramount+ series follows a CIA operative who leads a top-secret team meant to infiltrate and execute the most dangerous targets around the world. The tense, action-packed series stars Zoe Saldana, Nicole Kidman, Morgan Freeman, Michael Kelly, Genesis Rodriguez, and more. 

Continue reading ‘Lioness’: Michael Kelly Talks Season 2 Of The CIA Drama, ‘The Penguin’, ‘G.I. Joe’ & More [Bingeworthy Podcast] at The Playlist.

Whenever we see that an actor or filmmaker has left a TV show or film, there is always a reason given. Most of the time, we see the dreaded “scheduling conflict” or something along those lines. And believe it or not, a lot of the time when they talk about scheduling not working, they’re typically hiding a deeper reason. That appears to be the case when it comes to the recasting of Carmine Falcone in “The Penguin.”

READ MORE: Matt Reeves Says ‘The Batman II’ Script Is Done, But Unsure If DP Greig Fraser Will Return

According to a new interview with Variety, John Turturro talked about his role in “The Batman” as Carmine Falcone, and he also gave a reason why he didn’t show up in the TV spinoff, “The Penguin.” Originally, when showrunner Lauren LeFranc talked about why Turturro didn’t return, she chalked it up to a scheduling conflict and quickly mentioned how they love being able to replace him with Mark Strong as Falcone.

Continue reading ‘The Penguin’: John Turturro Says He Didn’t Return Because Show Had “A Lot Of Violence Towards Women” at The Playlist.

The latest episode of “The Penguin” ended with quite the twist, one that sees Cristin Milioti‘s Sofia Falcone as the new frontrunner to take over Gotham’s underworld. But Sofia’s not only out for revenge against her family: she also wants to take down Colin Farrell‘s Oz Cobb, who murdered her brother and deceived her constantly after her release from Arkham Asylum.

READ MORE: Fall 2024 TV Preview: 40+ Series To Watch

HBO‘s exclusive new mid-season trailer for New York Comic-Con lets audiences know what’s on Sofia’s mind.   “We kill Oz, then we take over the city,” she tells her henchmen.

Continue reading ‘The Penguin’ Mid-Season Trailer: Cristin Milioti’s Sofia Falcone Takes Over As Max Series Hits Halfway Point at The Playlist.

HBO’s “The Batman” spin-off, “The Penguin,” aired last night on the cable channel and on MAX, and as fans can tell, it’s not so much a superhero series, shaped much more like a crime show not unlike “The Sopranos,” only set in Gotham City. The series is dark, gritty, humorous and delves into the personal story of what made Oz Cobb, aka The Penguin (Colin Farrell, barely recognizable under prosthetics), the ambitious criminal underworld boss he becomes in the comics (read our review)

Of course, all the principals involved, creator Lauren LeFranc, Farrell, and executive producer Matt Reeves, are doing press for the series.

Continue reading Matt Reeves Says ‘The Batman II’ Script Is Done, But Unsure If DP Greig Fraser Will Return at The Playlist.

In the grand tradition of “The Godfather” and “Scarface,” similarly modernistic versions influenced by the same works like James Gray’s early New York crime films and augmented by the dilapidated layer of grimy bleakness derived from “The Batman” franchise, Matt Reeves’ “The Penguin,” is a bruising dramatic crime tragedy about the myth of the American dream and its modern decay.

Continue reading ‘The Penguin’ Review: Colin Farrell Leads A Dark, Tragic Tale About The Decay Of The American Dream at The Playlist.

With “The Penguin” with Colin Farrell premiering on Max next Friday, there’s plenty of buzz swirling about Matt Reeves‘ follow-up to 2022’s “The Batman.” Fans already know it hits theaters on October 2, 2026, but Reeves and Warner Bros. have remained quiet about anything else about the film (outside of Farrell reprising his role as Ozwald Cobblepot). For instance, will Zoë Kravitz‘s Catwoman be back?

Continue reading ‘The Batman Part II’: Matt Reeve Reassures Fans That He’s Making A Trilogy: “Yes, That Is Still The Plan” at The Playlist.

“The Penguin” hits Max later this month on September 19, which sees Colin Farrell reprise his role as gangster Oswald Cobblepot from 2022’s “The Batman.” That means Matt Reeves will start production on that film’s sequel soon, right? Yes, indeed. Variety reports that the director confirmed to SFX Magazine that “we’re finished up the script now” for “The Batman Part II,” and “the plan is to shoot next year.” That makes sense, as Warner Bros.

Continue reading ‘The Batman Part II’: Matt Reeves Confirms Sequel Will Shoot Next Year, Shoots Down Gentleman Ghost Rumors at The Playlist.

We’ve seen quite a bit of footage of the upcoming HBO series, “The Penguin.” Nowhere in any of the footage is there an appearance by Robert Pattinson, aka Batman. And don’t expect there to be, as the people responsible for the series are telling us right now to not get our hopes up for an appearance by the Caped Crusader.

Speaking to SFX, “The Penguin” masterminds, Matt Reeves and Lauren LeFranc, are opening up about why they decided to not include an appearance by Batman in their new crime series.

Continue reading ‘The Penguin’ Showrunner Confirms Batman Will Not Be Showing Up at The Playlist.

From the new major superhero series to the two under-the-radar series premiering their fourth seasons, plenty of television for every type of viewer is hitting screens this September. The big names are the spinoff series “The Penguin” and “Agatha All Along,” both of which focus on breakout characters from their respective predecessors. 

Elsewhere, there’s the recently nominated fourth season of critical favorite “Slow Horses” and the final season of the HBO series, “My Brilliant Friend.” For comedy there’s the latest bite-sized series for FX with “English Teacher.” If none of that strikes your fancy and you’re looking for something more peculiar, check out the upcoming adult-animated series from Zack Snyder.

Continue reading 13 Must-See September TV Shows: ‘Agatha All Along,’ ‘The Penguin’ & More at The Playlist.

It’s that mad time of year again, the fall season rush. In film terms, it’s manic in terms of releases and film festivals. And while slightly less hectic in the world of TV, there are a host of new and returning shows coming this fall, plus the Emmys in September. But the era of what we used to routinely call #TooMuchContent has reduced in the drastically changing streaming wars. The Netflix stock market crash in 2002 had a ripple effect as Wall Street reevaluated streaming value; the 2023 strikes didn’t help, but the end result has been slightly less content, which has made it more manageable for writers like us and audiences, frankly, many of which didn’t have time to watch everything.

Continue reading Fall 2024 TV Preview: 40 Must-See Series To Watch at The Playlist.

While Matt Reeves made many good casting choices in his superhero film “The Batman,” the best of them might actually go to his version of The Penguin. Buried under a ton of prosthetics, looking absolutely unrecognizable, Colin Farrell brings to life one of Batman’s greatest villains. And now he’s getting his own show.

As revealed during today’s San Diego Comic-Con panel, we have our first look at a full trailer for the upcoming Max drama series, “The Penguin.” The trailer lays out the plot of the series, which finds Oz Cobb (Farrell) as he attempts to pick up the pieces of the Gotham underworld after the events of “The Batman.” 

READ MORE: ‘The Penguin’ Showrunner Calls Series “A Scarface Story” & A “Bridge” Between ‘Batman’ Films

The cast includes Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz, Michael Kelly, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Deirdre O’Connell, Clancy Brown, James Madio, Scott Cohen, Michael Zegen, Carmen Ejogo, and Theo Rossi.

Continue reading ‘The Penguin’ Trailer: Colin Farrell’s ‘Batman’ Spin-Off Series Debuts September 19 at The Playlist.

The extended break between “The Batman” and its sequel (now expected in 2026) has created a bit of a void for fans. Luckily, Warner Bros. is here with “The Penguin.” And according to the showrunner of the series, “The Penguin” is your perfect “bridge” project between Matt Reeves’ two ‘Batman’ films.

Speaking to EW, “The Penguin” showrunner Lauren LeFranc talked about her upcoming show, which is expected to arrive in September.

Continue reading ‘The Penguin’ Showrunner Calls Series “A Scarface Story” & A “Bridge” Between ‘Batman’ Films at The Playlist.

Never underestimate him. That’s the tagline to “The Penguin,” the next chapter in “The Batman” saga from writer/director-producer Matt Reeves. Academy Award nominee Colin Farrell reprises his role as The Penguin, Oswald Cobblepot, in the new Max Original Series coming this September to Max.

Developed by showrunner Lauren LeFranc (“Impulse,” “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Continue reading ‘The Penguin’ Trailer: 8 Episode ‘Batman’ Spin-Off Stars Colin Farrell This September at The Playlist.

Expansion of Matt Reeves’ take on Batman and Gotham City finally begins later this year with the long-awaited “The Penguin.” A new Max series, “The Penguin,” centers on Colin Farrell’s Batman rogue Oz Cobb, aka Oswald Cobblepot, who takes his place within the criminal underworld following the death of mob boss Carmine Falcone (played by John Turturro in “The Batman”).

Continue reading ‘The Penguin’: Colin Farrell Says His New Gotham Crime Series Is “Incredibly Violent” at The Playlist.

Though many critics thought another Batman reboot would be overkill, filmmaker Matt Reeves largely silenced early detractors with his moody and atmospheric “The Batman” (2022), which starred Robert Pattinson. As we eagerly await “The Batman—Part II,” Reeves will flesh out his vision for Gotham City with “The Batman” spinoff series “The Penguin.” Focusing on the crime villain Oz Cobb, aka The Penguin (played by Colin Farrell), the series is set in the aftermath of a power vacuum in the crime-ridden megalopolis of Gotham created by the death of crime boss Carmine Falcone (played by John Turturro in Reeves’ first film). 

Continue reading ‘The Penguin’ Trailer: Gotham Spinoff Crime Series Starring Colin Farrell Debuts This Fall at The Playlist.

Here is our Most Anticipated TV Shows & Mini-Series of 2024 (The Strike-Affected Edition!) feature. 2023’s WGA/SAG-AFTRA/AMPTP strikes were essentially the COVID-19 of 2020. While thankfully, they weren’t as physically deadly, the work stoppage did significantly affect many people in the business and their financial stability. What ties them both together more closely is the disruption of content and product. With streamers already cutting back, regressing on the streaming boom thanks to Wall Street’s reevaluation of their worth, and the strikes delaying a lot of shows for an entire year, the #AgeOfTooMuchContent might officially be coming to a close.

Continue reading The 70 Most Anticipated TV Shows & Mini-Series Of 2024 at The Playlist.

At the end of Matt Reeve‘s ‘The Batman,’ Carmine Falcone’s death leaves the Gotham underworld without a kingpin. And as far as Colin Farrell‘s Oswald Copplepot is concerned, that position is his for the taking. That’s the driving force behind “The Penguin,” the upcoming Max original series, in production now.

READ MORE: ‘The Penguin’: ‘The Batman’ Spinoff Series Adds Theo Rossi, Michael Zegen & More

And Warner Bros.

Continue reading ‘The Penguin’ In-Production Teaser: Colin Farrell Returns To Become Gotham’s New Kingpin In The Max Original Series at The Playlist.

Filming on “The Penguin,” HBO Max‘s first series spinoff of Matt Reeves‘ “The Batman” got underway in New York City last month, with set footage of star Colin Farrell back in full Oz makeup on the street making the rounds online. The series focuses on the power vacuum in Gotham’s criminal underworld after the events of Reeves’ film and The Penguin’s rise to power.

Continue reading ‘The Penguin’: ‘The Batman’ Spinoff Series Adds Theo Rossi, Michael Zegen & More at The Playlist.

With all the current upheaval at DC Studios, it feels as if there’s only one sure thing for the DCU in the years ahead: Matt Reeves‘ “The Batman” films and their HBO Max spinoff shows. Don’t expect Reeves’ sequel to last year’s hit for a few years, but “The Penguin” with Colin Farrell enters production next month.

Continue reading ‘The Penguin’: Colin Farrell Cites The “Extraordinary” Makeup Work For His Villain As The Main Inspiration For The Upcoming HBO Max Spinoff at The Playlist.

Two years ago, Bob Iger pointed to the rafters and said, the future of our business is on streaming and Disney+. By then, everyone had a streaming service or one in the works, and it ushered in the age of #TooMuchContent. However, as we know, after the Wall Street Netflix crash of April 2022, which impacted the entire industry as the stock market totally reevaluated the worth of all streaming services, things are changing.

Continue reading The 70 Most Anticipated TV Shows & Mini-Series Of 2023 at The Playlist.

Since it launched in May 2020, HBO Max has quietly boasted some stellar original programming, including “Tokyo Vice,” “The Flight Attendant,” “And Just Like That…” and more. But there’s plenty of more original series on the way. In a new interview with Variety, HBO Max’s head of originals Sarah Aubrey supplied updates to many of those titles, including the first spinoff to Matt Reeves‘ “The Batman.”

READ MORE: ‘The Penguin’ Series: Cristin Milioti To Play Sofia Falcone In ‘The Batman’ Spinoff

So, what did Aubrey have to say about “The Penguin,” the first of potentially several spinoffs to Reeves’ film?

Continue reading HBO Max Sarah Aubrey Has Updates On Several Series Including ‘The Penguin,’ & ‘And Just Like That..’ S2 & More at The Playlist.

In the wake of the formation of DC Studios by Warner Bros. Discovery, Matt Reeves continues to forge on, expanding his own cinematic universe spun off from the hit feature film, “The Batman.” Multiple HBO Max shows and a second movie is on the horizon. One of those about to head into production early next year is “The Penguin,” starring Colin Farrell as his scene-stealing crook Oswald Copplepot, aka, Penguin.

Continue reading ‘The Penguin’ Series: Cristin Milioti To Play Sofia Falcone In ‘The Batman’ Spinoff at The Playlist.