Friday cannot come soon enough. Why are we so excited? Because that’s the day the first episode of The Penguin drops on M-Net. The limited series is a direct continuation of The Batman, the Matt Reeves-directed film of 2022. However, in this series, instead of following the Dark Knight, we’re diving into the story of one of his greatest nemeses: the Penguin. Need to know more? We’ve broken it down for you from A to Z.
Arkham Asylum
This is one of the most famous locations in Gotham City: an institution that houses the criminally insane including, in The Penguin, someone who looks set to be Oswald's arch nemesis.
Batman
Will we see Robert Pattinson reprise his role as Batman/Bruce Wayne in the series? The Interwebs have let us down, because we can’t figure out whether he will or won’t. We’ll watch with bated breath instead.
Colin Farrell
The Irish actor portrays the title character in The Penguin, a role he reprises from The Batman.
Detective Comics
The Penguin made his first appearance in 1941, in Detective Comics #58. The Batman returns to Batman’s roots, marking him as a character with excellent detecting skills. This resulted in a noirish film whose tone looks set to pulse through The Penguin too.
Eight episodes
The Penguin will consist of eight episodes.
Falcone
Jersey has the Sopranos, Gotham has the Falcones. In The Batman, Carmine Falcone rules the underworld with the Penguin at his side. The series will introduce us to more members of this influential family.
Gotham City
If you’re a Batman fan, this city needs no introduction. Whether depicted with Tim Burton’s gothic flourishes, Christopher Nolan’s stylish grit, or Matt Reeves’s noirish strokes, the city is always a character in this story: one who is dark, mysterious, and hungry to swallow the heedless.
HBO
The acclaimed network that has brought us shows like The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, Veep, My Brilliant Friend, Big Little Lies, The Last of Us, True Detective, Barry, and so much more, is bringing us The Penguin too.
Influences
Creator and showrunner Lauren LeFranc has referenced Scarface's influence on The Penguin. “Mobsters historically are larger than life, so there is that slightly elevated quality to it, but he’s just a man. A very complicated man,” she said in an interview. The series has already been likened to The Sopranos, and we well remember how much we loved Tony Soprano, even though we probably shouldn't have. Will Oswald evoke those same complex feelings? What's just as intriguing is that when The Batman was released, Oswald was likened to The Godfather’s Fredo. This all hints at complicated families and misunderstood villainy; but no matter what, we know Farrell will continue bringing his own unique touch to this character.
James Gordon
One of the greats, this police commissioner (lieutenant in The Batman) has been played by several great actors including Jeffrey Wright in The Batman. Will we see him in The Penguin? Let’s watch and see.
Kingpin
The Batman introduces us to the Penguin before he becomes a kingpin. In the series ... well, as the tagline says: "The city will be his."
Lounge
We’ll get to revisit Oswald’s Iceberg Lounge in the series … and the significance of the name just hit us.
Mick Giacchino
If you have watched any movies or series in the last twenty years, you will very likely recongise the name Giacchino. If not, you will definitely have heard the music of Michael Giacchino. In addition to Lost, Jurassic World, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Up, Star Trek, (and much more!) he scored The Batman. For The Penguin, his son Mick Giacchino steps into his father’s role and we can’t wait to hear the results!
New York City
The inspiration and shooting location for Gotham City.
Oswald "Oz" Cobb
In the comic books and previous films, the Penguin’s real name is Oswald Cobblepot. However, to keep the series grounded in Reeves’s darker, more real world, this somewhat OTT name has been changed to Oswald "Oz" Cobb.
Purple
The colour of Oz’s Maserati.
Queens
Some of the filming took place in Queens, New York at Silvercup Studios, which was also home to The Sopranos.
Refill your coffee
The Penguin premieres Express from the US on Friday 20 September at 03:00 on M-Net channel 101, so make sure you have enough beans to fuel your early morning watch party.
Sofia Falcone
The deranged daughter of Carmine Falcone who looks set to be Oz’s arch-nemesis. She's played by Cristin Milioti.
The Batman
Normally choosing "the" for a T entry, would be a cheat, right? But given that "the" distinguishes Reeves's 2022 The Batman from Tim Burton's 1989 Batman, it's a very important word here. By now you know that The Penguin is a spin-off of The Batman. The Penguin is set to be followed by The Batman – Part II in 2026.
Unrecongisable
Farrell’s transformation into Oz / Penguin has rendered him unrecognisable. But there’s so much more to this actor and this performance than the makeup and prosthetics and we can’t wait to watch this remarkable artist delve deeper into the character.
Victor Aguilar
This is a new character and is portrayed by Rhenzy Feliz.
Watch the trailer
Enjoy!
eXpress from the US
Yeah, sorry. We really had to stretch to use this X. As mentioned, the first episode airs on Friday 20 September at 03:00 on M-Net. If you want to watch in prime time you can tune in on Mondays at 21:00, or stream on DStv Stream, from 23 September. Thereafter Express episodes will air on Mondays at 03:00.
You can’t miss it
Friday cannot come soon enough, but if life gets in the way, you can always catch up on DStv Stream.
Zobel, Craig
Craig Zobel is one the of series’ directors. His directing work includes The Leftovers, American Gods, Westworld, and Mare of Easttown, as well as the fabulously twisted The Hunt. Helen Shaver has a long and varied directing career, and is also on board as director.
The Penguin premieres Express from the US on Friday 20 September at 03:00 on M-Net channel 101. Join the conversation on Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok using #MNet101 and #ThePenguin.
Feature image: HBO