The Penguin Star Colin Farrell Says The Batman Spinoff Is "Incredibly Violent"

The newest trailer for The Penguin premiered last week, previewing the second installment in DC's The Batman saga. The live-action Max series has a lot of hype around it, especially with The Batman Part II on the horizon. In a recent interview with MovieZine, The Penguin star Colin Farrell shed a bit more light on The Penguin's filming experience, and teased that the series itself is "incredibly violent."

"It was a long and really wonderful experience," Farrell revealed. "It's dark; that's what I can tell you about it. It's really dark. It's really heavy, I think— it certainly was doing it. Which is not to say I didn't have fun, I had an amazing time doing it. It's incredibly violent. It's one man's rise to what he's always dreamed of inhabiting, which is a certain power or social status."

"The death of Carmine Falcone at the end of [The Batman] leaves this vacuum in Gotham to be filled, and so there are various people that are grabbing for that power," Farrell added. "This is Oswald's journey trying to rise to the top through extraordinary obstacles."

What Is The Penguin About?

While plot details surrounding The Penguin are currently under wraps, it is expected to take place in the aftermath of the events of The Batman.

"We are thrilled to bring audiences a new version of this iconic DC character that they have never seen before," Sarah Aubrey, Head of Original Content, HBO Max, said in a statement when the show was announced. "It is incredible to be working with Matt, Dylan and Lauren on continuing this story and to see Colin take his already exceptional performance in 'The Batman' to the next level."

"Colin exploded off the screen as the Penguin in 'The Batman,' and having the chance to thoroughly explore the inner life of that character on HBO Max is an absolute thrill," The Batman director Matt Reeves echoed. "Dylan and I are so excited to work with Lauren in continuing Oz's story as he grabs violently for power in Gotham."

"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," said showrunner Lauren LeFranc.

Who Is in the Cast of The Penguin?

The cast of The Penguin includes and Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone, Clancy Brown as Salvatore Maroni, as well as Rhenzy Feliz, Michael Kelly, Shohreh Aghdashloo, and Deirdre O'Connell.

"The only thing I had an idea was that I wasn't nearly getting to explore the character as much as I wanted to," Farrell explained in a recent interview with Variety. "Because there was all this extraordinary work done by [makeup artists] Mike Marino and Mike Fontaine and his team, and I just thought it was the tip of the iceberg, pardon the pun, that we were getting to do the six or seven scenes that we did in the film. I was grateful for them, but I wanted more."

Are you excited for The Batman's The Penguin spinoff? What do you think of Colin Farrell's newest quotes about the show? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

The Penguin will debut exclusively on Max in the fall of 2024.