HBO Max is casting the extended Falcone crime family for the upcoming The Batman spinoff series The Penguin, if a new report is to be believed.
The Illuminerdi cites unnamed sources close to the production who claim that actors are currently being auditioned to play characters associated with the legendary criminal empire. Notably, Alberto Falcone is said to appear in The Penguin and will serve as the head of the Falcone family following the death of his father Carmine (John Turturro) in The Batman. In The Penguin's DC Comics source material, Alberto went on to terrorize Gotham City as the serial killer known as Holiday. The Illuminerdi's sources gave no indication whether the character is expected to undergo a similar transformation in the spinoff, as well. Other notable parts yet to be filled include Alberto's cousin Johnny Viti and the Falcone family's consigliere Milos Grapa. HBO Max is yet to publicly comment on this latest casting report, which means it should be taken with a grain of salt for now.
That said, rumblings about the wider Falcone family's involvement in The Penguin seemingly track with the recent news that Cristin Milioti will portray Carmine Falcone's daughter Sofia in the HBO Max series. The Penguin's plot will reportedly revolve around the conflict between its protagonist, Oswald "Oz" Cobblepot/Penguin (Colin Farrell), and Sofia, as they vie for control over Gotham City's underworld. Milioti's breakout role was as Tracy McConnell in the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother. She has since starred in a range of films and TV shows, including The Wolf of Wall Street, Palm Springs, Made for Love and The Resort.
How HBO Max's Penguin Connects to The Batman
Little else is known about the plot of the Penguin spinoff, although HBO Max Head of Originals Sarah Aubrey recently clarified how it ties into the events of The Batman and its in-production sequel. Describing The Penguin as "a bridge" between The Batman and The Batman 2, Aubrey confirmed that the show's narrative starts right where the first film finished. "Penguin will sit immediately after the end of The Batman and temporally before the events of the second movie. The show will come out in between the two movies," she said.
It's currently unclear where The Batman's other, Arkham Asylum-centric spinoff fits within the franchise's overarching narrative, or even if it and The Penguin are the only small screen projects currently in the works. A recent report suggests that filmmaker Matt Reeves is currently developing a third The Batman spinoff focused on the Gotham City Police Department. Plans for such a series were seemingly scrapped in March 2022, although at least one source close to HBO Max insists it's still in active development.
The Penguin spinoff does not yet have a release date.
Source: The Illuminerdi