The director is behind one of the best shows of the last 20 years.
It’s fair to say that Colin Farrell is having a very impressive 2022.
For one, he is receiving major Oscar buzz for his performance in the upcoming Irish comedy-drama The Banshees of Inisherin.
On top of this, he had major roles in several other acclaimed films this year, including the Thai cave rescue thriller Thirteen Lives, the wonderful sci-fi After Yang, and of course, the smash-hit blockbuster The Batman.
Undergoing an incredible transformation to play Oswald Cobblepot aka The Penguin in the superhero flick, Farrell was such a scene-stealer in his supporting villain role that HBO Max ordered a spin-off series about his character in March of this year.
Farrell will executive produce and star in the show and there are now reports that he may be joined in the project by a top-class filmmaker.
According to DiscussingFilm, Craig Zobel is in discussions to direct an undisclosed amount of episodes of the spin-off, which has the working title The Penguin.
The director of the movies Compliance, Z for Zachariah and The Hunt, Zobel is perhaps best known for helming every episode of another HBO property – the acclaimed Kate Winslet-starring mystery series Mare of Easttown.
DiscussingFilm reports that the filmmaker is currently signed on as an executive producer for The Penguin.
That said, sources told the website that talks are still ongoing as to the number of episodes he can direct, as well as his availability for when production on the show begins in early 2023.
In a statement about the spin-off in March, Farrell said: “The world that Matt Reeves created for The Batman is one that warrants a deeper gaze through the eyes of Oswald Cobblepot.
“I couldn’t be more excited about continuing this exploration of Oz as he rises through the darkened ranks to become The Penguin.
“It will be good to get him back on the streets of Gotham for a little madness and a little mayhem.”
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
