Colin Farrell reveals exactly when The Penguin picks up from The Batman

The Batman
(Image credit: Warner Bros)

The Penguin actor Colin Farrell has revealed the surprisingly short timeframe between The Batman and his character’s upcoming HBO Max spin-off.

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

Farrell even teased The Penguin’s first scene back – and it’s a fitting return for his character. "I read the first script for the first episode, and it opens up with my feet splashing through the water in Falcone's office," Farrell said, also describing the script as "lovely" and "well-written."

He added that he is looking forward to doing more with the character after his turn in The Batman: "I love that character and I was greedy with it. I felt like I didn't have enough," Farrell explained. "I wanted to do it more and more, so now I get the chance.”

The Penguin producer and The Batman director Matt Reeves had previously expressed in a press release that the spin-off is a chance to "explore the inner life" of the mob boss as "he grabs violently for power in Gotham."

Mare of Easttown and Westworld director Craig Zobel will be behind the camera for The Penguin. Agents of SHIELD’s Lauren LeFranc is serving as writer and showrunner, with Farrell saying she has done an "extraordinary job."

The Batman 2 is officially on the way – here are the villains we want to see in the sequel. For more, here’s a look at the new superhero movies coming your way very soon.

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.