One of the two HBO Max spinoff series based on The Batman will directly connect to the infamous Arkham Asylum.
Speaking to the Toronto Sun, director Matt Reeves teased that fans can expect to see more of the sinister Gotham landmark. When asked what his plans are following the release of the highly-anticipated film The Batman, Reeves noted that while one of the spinoff series will focus on Colin Farrell's Oswald Cobblepot aka The Penguin, the other is more mysterious. "We’re doing [The Penguin series] and we’re doing another series that connects to Arkham [Asylum]," said Reeves. While undoubtedly a vague description, this is the first time any kind of information on the second planned HBO Max series has been formally revealed.
In the same interview, Reeves also notes that he's already met with Warner Bros. about a sequel to The Batman. "We are talking and thinking about the next movie, but to be honest with you, at the moment, I really want the audience to connect with this," said Reeves. "And I really believe they will because Rob is an incredible Batman."
While The Batman has yet to officially hit theaters at the time of writing, Warner Bros. already has plans to grow the mythos of the character through the aforementioned spinoff series that focuses on The Penguin. The show was initially offhandedly pitched as a formal sequel to The Batman before Warner Bros. executives opted to take it on as a series. Dylan Clarke, a producer on The Batman, teased that the story will chronicle Oswald Cobblepot's rise to power, inspired by the classic 1983 film Scarface. "It's exciting to do something like that just as a standalone, but it speaks to the character and our movie, so that you’ll go back to the movie [and say], 'Oh, I see that backstory there, that line refers to this,'" said Clarke.
The series may be a justified exploration into the character of The Penguin as Farrell has noted that the version of the character seen in The Batman hasn't come into his own yet. "There is one scene where I have an umbrella in my hand, but it doesn't have a trigger on the handle," Farrell said. "He does have a limping gait, so there is somewhat of a waddle there. But Oz is not yet fully inhabiting the mythology of the Penguin and doesn't take too kindly to the monicker."
While The Batman glides into theaters on March 4, there's currently no release window for the HBO Max spinoff series.
Source: The Toronto Sun