After releasing The Penguin to expand the universe of the film The Batman to the small screen, HBO Max is set to repeat the experience with another DC project. As the platform revealed in a press release, it has ordered a spin-off series based on James Gunn’s Superman film, centered on Jimmy Olsen, played by Skyler Gisondo.
The eight-episode comedy, titled The People v. Gorilla Grodd, will follow Jimmy Olsen as he makes a documentary about one of Metropolis’s most famous murder trials: the trial of the King of Gorilla City, who was killed by his son, Gorilla Grodd (Jimmy Tatro). The young Daily Planet reporter will then seek to determine whether Gorilla Grodd was wrongfully convicted in this case.
Alongside Skyler Gisondo, The People v. Gorilla Grodd will feature several actors who appeared in the Superman film. Beck Bennett, Mikaela Hoover, and Wendell Pierce will reprise their roles as Steve Lombard, Cat Grant, and Perry White. They’ll star alongside Mary Holland (The Big Door Prize), Eduardo Franco (Stranger Things), Arian Moayed (Nobody Wants This), Dan Perrault, Andrew Leeds (Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist), and Tim Baltz (The Righteous Gemstones), who round out the cast of this new DC series.
James Gunn and Peter Safran, who will serve as executive producers, have made no secret of their enthusiasm for developing this new project: “Between Skyler’s wonderful performance and the fantastic chemistry of the Daily Planet cast, we knew coming out of ‘Superman’ that this would be a fun world to explore. We’re excited to work with the brilliant Dan Perrault and Tony Yacenda to take the audience down some of the darker and funnier streets and alleyways of the DCU as Jimmy spotlights the Metropolis criminal justice system for his docuseries.”
How about you—are you looking forward to watching The People v. Gorilla Grodd on HBO Max? Let us know in the comments.
