According to Deadline, The Penguin was set to film Tuesday in Westchester, NY, but WGA East picketers, Teamsters, and local guilds refused to cross the picket line.

The series picks up where Matt Reeves’s The Batman left off.  A power vacuum has been created in the wake of Carmine Falcone’s murder at the hands of The Riddler, and Oswald Cobblepot is bound and determined to fill it. However, that is not to say that the rest of Gotham’s criminal underworld will let him.

“It starts a week after The Batman ends, so Gotham is still somewhat underwater,” Farrell previously told Extra, referring to The Batman’s third act that saw Paul Dano’s Riddler instigate a plan to flood Gotham.

Craig Zobel, who directed the limited series The Mare of Easttown, is set to helm the eight-episode series. Lauren LeFranc (Impulse, Agents of SHIELD) is set to pen the script. Farrell will also executive-produce along with director Matt Reeves and producer Dylan Clark. Colin Farrell reprises his role as Cobblepot from the film, and is joined by Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone and Clancy Brown as Salvatore Maroni. Maroni is infamous among comics fans as the man who disfigured D.A. Harvey Dent in court with acid, unleashing his dual personality of Two-Face.

The Penguin joins Daredevil: Born Again, Billions, P-Valley, Pretty Little Liars: Summer School, and several others on the list of shows that have temporarily shuttered production because of the strike. The writing work has also ceased on Stranger Things, Cobra Kai, Abbott Elementary, Severance, Good Trouble, and Yellowjackets.

The Penguin does not yet have a release date.

The post The Penguin Series Put On Hold As Writers Fight For Better Treatment appeared first on DC Comics News.

The Doctor Sleep director foresees bringing Batman’s gelatinous shapeshifting foe to life in a horror film approach. To that end he and Intrepid Studios have pitched this concept to DC Studio heads James Gunn and Peter Safran. At this time, there is no confirmation of either approval or rejection of the idea.

Flanagan is also best known to Netflix binge watchers as the mind behind Midnight Mass, The Haunting of Hill House, and The Haunting of Bly Manor.

Other than Clayface, Flanagan reportedly tossed other pitches for such horror-associated properties as Constantine. Regardless, there is much speculation as to how this project will fit in to DC Studios. Some sources claim it may be connnected to Matt Reeves’s sequel to The Batman. Others, however, contradict this belief with the possibility of Clayface being part of Gunn’s and Safran’s DC Gods and Monsters: Chapter One. As to how he would tackle the project, as revealed in a podcast last January, it would be a standalone  “horror/thriller/tragedy.”

As a shapeshifting, malformed mutated human whose real identity has been lost forever, all three of those boxes are easily checked off.

The Clayface persona has been inhabited by many antagonists since The Golden Age of Comics, and has thus established a lengthy history. Created in 1941 by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, the mantle of Clayface first belonged to Basil Karlo, modeled after silent film star Lon Chaney and Frankenstein actor Boris Karloff. This version merely disguised himself in his famous movie role of Clayface to seek revenge on both cast and crew remaking one of his old films without his involvement. The second Clayface was Matt Hagen, created in 1951 by Finger and Sheldon Moldoff. Hagen had been a treasure hunter who accidentally discovered a pool of plasma that made his skin malleable and granted him shapeshifting abilities whenever he bathed in it. After this version was killed in Crisis On Infinite Earth, Swamp Thing cocreator Len Wein and artist Marshall Rogers introduced a third Clayface. Instead of a shapeshifter like Hagen, Preston Payne was a scientist living with hyperpituitarism that sought to reverse-engineer Hagen’s plasma-fused blood and cure his deformity. Unfortunately he instead became deformed and in consistent physical pain that could only be stabilized through drawing out plasma from victims, reducing them to melted puddles. A fourth version was a woman named Sondra Fuller, who had a romantic relationship with Payne. In the 90s, things would come full circle as Karlo, the original Clayface, was reintroduced by injecting himself with blood samples from Payne and Fuller to become “the ultimate Clayface.” DC Rebirth saw a younger version of Karlo, whose path even saw him try to work alongside The Dark Knight and his team to redeem himself for his crimes.

Modern fans best remember the Matt Hagen version from his appearances in 1992’s Batman: The Animated Series, voiced by actor Ron Perlman. Instead of being a treasure hunter, however, elements of Karlo’s acting career were woven into his backstory. Disfigured in a car accident, Hagen is dependent upon a highly-addictive cream that enables him to reshape his face into not only his own, but others. When his luck runs out and he attempts to steal a large quantity from supplier Roland Dagget, Dagget’s men attempt to drown him with an overdose of the drug, transforming him into Clayface. A made-for-TV version appeared in 2004’s The Batman series as GCPD Detective Ethan Bennett, Bruce Wayne’s best friend from childhood, and yet pressured by his superiors to apprehend The Batman. Bennet is held hostage by The Joker, psychologically tortured, and  accidentally inhales flakes of his volatile “Joker Putty.” This later turns his body grey and misshapen, but malleable at mental command. When Bennett eventually went on a redemptive path, that series also saw the mantle inhabited by down-and-out actor Basil Karlo, the first ever animated adaptation of the original. The Karlo version has also been featured prominently in Rocksteady Games’ Batman: Arkham series, voiced by Fred Tatasciore. The first live-action portrayal of Clayface was Cassius Payne – the son of Preston and Sondra in the comics – in the short-lived WB series Birds of Prey, played by Kirk Baltz.  Though his backstory is not revealed, his relevance was that he was responsible for the murder of Selina Kyle at The Joker’s request. Another Clayface – this time Basil Karlo – appeared in the third season of the Fox TV Series Gotham. This incarnation, played by Brian McNanamon, was the result of Professor Hugo Strange’s Summerhill experiments, resurrected and empowered with shapeshifting powers through the properties of octopus DNA. Lastly, an original iteration of Clayface appears in Pennyworth, played by Lorraine Burroughs.

Official Source – Clayface Movie From Mike Flanagan Pitched To DC Warner Bros – Deadline

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GQ Magazine’s interview with Director Reeves not only confirmed Pattinson’s involvement, but Andy Serkis’s return as Alfred Pennyworth. “Reeves confirmed to me that Serkis would return in his forthcoming sequel to The Batman, ” the GQ reporter claims. “But beyond that, Serkis has little planned, instead focusing on direction and producing his own projects. [Serkis claims] ‘I don’t have a burning desire to play [anyone]. What I do want is to go back to the stage. That’s one thing I want to do for sure – and I’m terrified of it.'”

As to what the plot of the film will be, Reeves claims “It’s very much a point of view-driven, noir Batman [tale. It’s] told very squarely on his shoulders, and I hope it’s going to be a story that will be thrilling but also emotional. It’s more Batman in his detective mode than we’ve seen in the films. The comics have a history of that. He’s supposed to be the world’s greatest detective, and that’s not necessarily been a part of what the movies have been. I’d love this to be one where when we go on that journey of tracking down the criminals and trying to solve a crime, it’s going to allow his character to have an arc so that he can go through a transformation.”

Robert Pattinson Suits Up Again, But How Does “The Batman 2” Figure Into DC Studios?

As to how the world established in The Batman will fit in to DC Studios’ plans, Co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran claim it is anything but a stepchild. Gunn elaborates, “Matt is working on Batman 2, which he thinks of it as a Batman crime saga, which includes The Penguin TV [series. And] it is its own thing, and he’s hard at work on that. He came in and pitched us some amazing, really cool stuff the other day. Our plan is for that to continue.” Safran added that they are devoted to ensuring the success of the franchise as they are in their other projects. A month earlier, the plan established that multiple continuities on screen and TV can be treated as separate branches of the multiverse, using the popular DC Comics term “Elseworlds.”

Utilizing the standalone film approach used by the successful Joker, The Batman found its own acclaim at the box office. The film raked in $770 million for its $180-200 million dollar budget. It also has been nominated in three categories at the 95th Academy Awards. The grounded, back-to-basics approach and Pattinson’s gritty portrayal of The Dark Knight prevailed over initial skepticism. Its success also greenlit the aforementioned Penguin project. Actor Colin Farrell will again get into the makeup chair to reprise Oswald Cobblepot. The show is to pick up where the movie left off, and follow his rise from former lieutenant to Carmine Falcone to the crime boss he’s known for in the comics.

The Batman: Part II is scheduled to premiere in theaters October 3, 2025. As it stands, it remains to be seen whether Zoe Kravitz will reprise her role as Selina Kyle aka Catwoman.

Official Source – The Batman Actor Confirmed to Return for DC Sequel (comicbook.com)

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So sit back, and enjoy!

DCN PODCAST #167

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According to Production Weekly, The Batman: Part II is set to start shooting in November at Warner Bros. Levensden Studios, which is one of the same studios they used for The Batman. The first movie filmed extensively at this studio, using five stages and their backlot to help bring Gotham City to life.

During James Gunn’s and Peter Safran’s recent announcements about the future of the DC Universe, it was revealed that the sequel would be coming out in October of 2025 — the same year as Superman: Legacy is set to hit. This, along with the upcoming Joker sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux, will be part of DC’s Elseworlds label, separating them from the rest of the DCU, including the announced Batman: Brave and the Bold movie, which will see Batman teaming up with his son Damian Wayne, aka Robin.

This isn’t the only The Batman project coming to life, as the upcoming HBO Max series The Penguin is currently underway with Colin Farrell reprising his role as the titular gangster, Oswald Cobblepot. It’s being said that this series will take place about a week after the events of the first film, and will tie into the second.

The Batman starred Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin, Paul Dano as Edward Nashton/The Riddler, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, and John Turturro as Carmine Falcone. It is expected that we will see Robert Pattinson, Andy Serkis, and Jeffrey Wright return to there roles for the sequel, and with the spin-off series, The Penguin, tying in, we’ll most likely see Colin Farrell as well. The question remains, however, as to whether or not we will see a return of Zoë Kravitz’s Catwoman and Paul Dano’s Riddler.

The Batman: Part II will hit theaters on October 3, 2025.

The post ‘The Batman: Part II’ Will Start Filming This November appeared first on DC Comics News.

Now let’s move into some of the story beats we may potentially see & some that have been confirmed in the upcoming film:

Bruce Wayne will remain the focus

Reeves creatively prefers to show a more personal approach to his main characters allowing characters to show a lot more emotion through monologues as we see with Bruce Wayne’s journal entries in the first movie. I for one am glad this is still going to be a focus moving forward as it gave Bruce a lot more depth and it felt like it was ripped right out of any Batman Comic story.
(Source: Collider)

There is potential for Batman/Catwoman conflict moving forward

In a Seminar for AFI (American Film Institute), Matt Reeves talked a bit about the chemistry and choices behind Robert Pattinson’s Batman and Zoë Kravitz’s Catwoman. Reeves talked about the process behind hiring Zoë for the role but most importantly the different sides of the law both characters reside and work in. We see Batman judging Catwoman throughout the entire movie which creates tension between the two characters and this tension could pit them against each other in the future as they live two very similar but different lives.
(Source: YouTube)

A city of crime & corruption, the perfect grounds for an EPIC. CRIME. SAGA.

As mentioned above, Matt Reeves took to Twitter to confirm the news of The Batman’s sequel release date. We already know that The Penguin Spin-off will be about Oz’s rise to power after the events of The Batman’s ending and how he grapples with Power, we also know that it will lead into the film’s Part II with Oz potentially being the Godfather of Gotham’s underworld.
(Source: Games Radar)

With Reeves keeping his universe grounded and street level for the time being I’d love to see other Mafia families introduced into the fold as the underworld of Gotham City delves into a struggle for power. Reeves is also a big fan of Scorsese so we could see some very gritty crime-related story arcs coming our way. It will be good to see what movies inspire The Batman Pt II like the inspiration for the first film. (Chinatown, Seven, Zodiac & Taxi Driver to name a few).

EPIC. CRIME. SAGA. https://t.co/YhVP3ZegXO

— Matt Reeves (@mattreevesLA) January 31, 2023

Reeves also took to Twitter to like a fan-made poster that mashes up Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather Pt 1 & Matt Reeves’ The Batman.

THE BATMAN PART II
October 3rd, 2025.#DCStudios

(Poster by @MizuriAU) pic.twitter.com/neJrTz2R8B

— James Rai (@MovieDisciple) January 31, 2023

That’s a wrap for all the recent info we have received so far.  let me know in the comments what you would like to see in the Reeves Elseworld Universe!

Thanks for reading and stay tuned here at DCComicNews.com for all things DC.

The post ‘The Batman: Part II’ Potential Story Details appeared first on DC Comics News.

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2022 – The Year-In-Review

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After being a bit coy in the interview, Reeves eventually revealed the following about the upcoming The Batman sequel. “We’re deep in it and my partner and I are writing, Mattson [Tomlin] and I are writing, and it’s really exciting, and I’m really excited about what we’re doing.”

He went on to say that he’s “really excited to be doing that with Rob [Pattinson], because I just think he’s such a special person and actor.”

The fact that they’re still moving forward with the sequel is definitely a good sign for the continued life of Reeves’ Batverse. Another great sign of this is the confirmation that the Colin Farrell-starring Penguin spin-off series is still underway, with Reeves saying “We are very, very soon going to start shooting The Penguin with Colin [Farrell]. That is super exciting.”

Farrell, himself, had previously spoken about his excitement after reading the first script, saying “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. So yeah, it’ll be, I think six or eight hours.”

Reeves went on to say “There are some other things we have planned too. […] The BatVerse of what we’re doing has me very, very excited, and I’m very passionate about it. So I’m excited.” Is this a reference to the previously announced GCPD/Arkham Asylum series that Reeves was planning? One can hope, as that series had quite a bit of potential within it.

The director also spoke about the connection between The Penguin and The Batman sequel, saying “There’s actually a whole little fabric of things we’re wanting to do, the way we’re doing with [the] Penguin and how that comes back into how that will lead into the sequel, and what that sequel is going to be.”

It sounds like he’s got a whole plan in motion, and Gunn and Safran seem to be on board with it. And with Gunn recently confirming that they are working on some Elseworlds projects, this universe would fit perfectly into that category, allowing them to keep it running and let Reeves have the freedom to mold it, while still reshaping the main DCU.

The post ‘The Batman’ Sequel Currently Being Worked On; Penguin Series To Tie In appeared first on DC Comics News.