HBO is switching up the release plans for The Penguin and Dune: Prophecy. Originally, these were Max Originals. But, now they’ll be branded HBO shows. Variety reports that both The Penguin and Dune: Prophecy will air on both platforms. The key problem with changing these shows over to HBO Originals was that they had already begun licensing deals under the former umbrella. So far along in negotiations, it was always going to be tough to navigate it. But, Max’s head Casey Bloys has figured out some kind of workaround. (He’s said to have seen the footage from Penguin and began to fight even harder for it to be included on the HBO side of things because of the quality. Make of that what you will.) It would be hard to fault the strategy of getting these shows in front of as many eyeballs as possible.
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“What we ended up with is shows at this scope and scale that look great, and great narratives and talent we’ve worked with,” Bloys previously said when asked about the pivot. “The idea of the delineation kind of started to feel unnecessary. Like, why are we doing this? Let’s just call them what they are: HBO shows.”
He added, “So after House of the Dragon, the next big tentpole series that we have coming up will be The Penguin with Colin Farrell. That is coming out of Matt Reeves’ The Batman and it’s fantastic. Just like Peacemaker came out of James Gunn’s Suicide Squad, it’s a really good example of what you can do. That’ll be in September.”
Similar moves are already providing dividends for Warner Bros. Discovery’s competitors like Disney. That company made the move to slide all their content onto one shelf over on Disney+ and the changes have sparked increased viewership for a number of titles. Look for the same thing to go on with these Max shows getting moved up to the big leagues. (Also of note is the fact that the programming schedules for terrestrial cable is looking pretty light after the writers’ and actors’ strikes. This will provide an easy way to fill those slots.)
What Can You Expect From The Penguin?
In effect, The Penguin plots out a course for Oswald Cobblepot after the events of Matt Reeves’ The Batman. Gotham City is in rough shape. There’s been an upheaval and that means opportunity for an enterprising man like The Penguin. Robert Pattinson’s Caped Crusader is busy elsewhere and that means the metropolis’s underworld is running around doing all kinds of illegal activities. Colin Farrell is back as the leering villain. Other story details are largely being kept under wraps.
Showrunner Lauren LeFranc mused, “I have long been a fan of the world of The Batman, and Matt’s film is such a powerful and bold entry into the canon. I am excited and humbled to continue telling stories in the grimy world of Gotham City – and what better excuse to channel my inner villain than to tell the story of Oswald Cobblepot? I am thrilled to work with Colin, Matt, Dylan, 6th & Idaho, Warners, and HBO Max as we work to bring this story to the screen.”
What’s The New Dune Series About?
Basically, Dune: Prophecy sets the stage for the events of the two movies that have gripped audiences worldwide. The world of Dune existed a long time before Timothee Chalamet’s protagonist began his quest. With a lengthy bit of lore to mine from author Frank Herbert, the HBO series charts the rise of the Bene Dessert and expands the backstory of the Harkonnen family. Dune completionists have wanted something like this on film, with this scale, for decades now.
“From the expansive universe of Dune, created by acclaimed author Frank Herbert, and 10,000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides, Dune: Prophecy follows two Harkonnen sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind, and establish the fabled sect that will become known as the Bene Gesserit.”
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