When Matt Reeves directed The Batman, he had a trilogy in mind. After the success of his 2022 film, he and Warner Bros. decided to extend the story beyond movies and into television. On September 19, fans will get to see the result of their efforts with The Penguin, a spin-off series on Max. Reeves discussed how the series came to be and the classic gangster film that inspired it.
Reeves explained, “I had always intended to continue Penguin’s story and wanted to show his rise to power. In The Batman, he is an overlooked and mocked character, not yet the kingpin he becomes in the lore.”
In The Batman, Reeves chose not to focus on the origin story of the title character but rather on Gotham’s dark and chaotic world. Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne struggles with his own issues. Reeves wanted to explore how the film’s villains developed their characters.
Still from the show (Max)
Although the trilogy was not about Batman’s backstory, Reeves wanted to show the origins of the villains. He discussed these plans with Casey Bloys and Sarah Aubrey, who suggested using marquee characters for the series and not saving everything for the movies. Reeves explained that he wanted to continue the story from the end of The Batman, where Carmine Falcone’s death creates a power vacuum. He envisioned Penguin’s rise in this context.
Reeves wanted Penguin’s story to have a rags-to-riches feel similar to Tony Montana’s journey in Scarface. He said, “It was like imagining a Scarface story, and Casey agreed that’s the series we wanted.” The Penguin will pick up a week after The Batman and show Penguin’s journey to becoming a kingpin. This story will lead into the next movie, The Batman: Part Two, which Reeves and Tomlin are writing.
The future of “Yellowstone” is always changing. One week, it seems like the show is ending, and the next, there are plans for a sequel series. There are spin-offs that have been announced and cast, but what will happen with the Dutton family?
Kelly Reilly, one of the stars, told Entertainment Weekly that talks are ongoing about continuing the Dutton family story. She also shared some details about what the series might be like when “Yellowstone” Season 5B finishes after it airs in November.
Last month, Deadline reported that Reilly and co-star Cole Hauser are discussing how to move the series forward. This is the first time a main cast member has confirmed that there might be a plan to continue the story.
Reilly said, “There’s potentially another chapter. It’s being talked about now. Nothing is set in stone. But if Taylor wants to write it, I would want to do it. That’s it. Because he’s the one who’s written every single line I’ve ever said. She came from his imagination.
But we’re both in agreement that there’s a shift that has to take place. Because you can’t keep telling the same story. This story is ending. Yellowstone as we know it is ending, but if there is more story to tell with some of the characters, it’s going to be a little different.”
Still from the show (Paramount+)
Even though the series was successful, it faced a big delay before it could end. The first half of Season 5 ended in January 2023, with plans to continue that summer. But production was paused because of reports that Kevin Costner wanted to cut back on his role and rumors about a potential sequel series.
The 2023 SAG and WGA strikes also delayed the show’s return until November 2024. Production resumed in May 2024 for what is confirmed as the final season, but Costner’s departure left fans unsure about his character, John Dutton.
The final six episodes, which will air on November 10, promise to deliver the intense drama that has been a hallmark of the series. Reilly mentioned that the delay might have actually worked out for the best: “It was always going to be five seasons in [Taylor’s] head… fate took it, and we ended this part of Yellowstone in a way that he always envisioned it to end.”
