THE PENGUIN Showrunner Lauren LeFranc Explains Why She Doesn't "View Our Show As A Comic Book Show"

THE PENGUIN Showrunner Lauren LeFranc Explains Why She Doesn't "View Our Show As A Comic Book Show"

In a new interview, The Penguin showrunner Lauren LeFranc explains why she doesn't look at The Batman spin-off series as a "comic book show."

By MarkCassidy - Sep 23, 2024 10:09 AM EST
Filed Under: The Batman

The first episode of The Penguin debuted on Max last week, marking our return to the perilous streets of a more grounded take on Gotham City from Matt Reeves' The Batman.

Despite the title of the series and the main character's moniker from the comics, we don't actually hear anyone refer to him as "Penguin" in the premiere - and, one or two instances aside, it sounds like it's going to stay that way over the course of the full season.

“I knew that Oz didn’t appreciate the term, and that was something that felt derogatory toward him,” showrunner Lauren LeFranc tells Deadline. “Gangsters in mobs often they have these nicknames for people. So it made a lot of sense that his nickname from others would be the Penguin. But it’s not a term that he embraces.”

We do see Oz carrying an umbrella at one point as a little nod to the villain's comic book roots, but we can probably forget about the monocle, top hat, tails and cigarette holder!

“I wanted to make sure that we could appeal to people who didn’t see it or didn’t think it was for them, who wouldn’t necessarily be interested in a comic book show,” LeFranc continues. “I don’t view our show as a comic book show. I view it more as a crime drama … certainly a character-driven drama. I wanted to make sure we could appeal to more people because we’re trying to tell stories that are relatable and a bit different. I do hope that people who aren’t necessarily fans of the genre would be interested in this show.”

We can see LeFranc's comments coming in for some backlash, as fans don't tend to appreciate when those involved with bringing these adaptations to the screen attempt to distance the projects from their source material.

As for star Colin Farrell, he is on board with the limited use of the Penguin nickname, but also brings up a scene that didn't make the final cut that he wished was left in.

“There are kids who say to me, ‘you’re a penguin.’ And I say, yeah, ‘that’s right,'” the actor recalls. “I got the sense that Oz was actually stepping into the moniker and into his own kind of mythos. It’s not essential, but I like that idea that by the end, he’s okay with it. He sees the power in having a moniker like that.”

Episode 2 of The Penguin airs on September 29.

The Penguin also stars Cristin Milioti (Sofia Falcone), Rhenzy Feliz (Victor Aguilar), Michael Kelly (Johnny Viti), Shohreh Aghdashloo (Nadia Maroni), Deirdre O’Connell (Francis Cobb), Clancy Brown (Salvatore Maroni), James Madio (Milos Grapa), Scott Cohen (Luca Falcone), Michael Zegen (Alberto Falcone), Carmen Ejogo (Eve Karlo), and Theo Rossi (Dr. Julian Rush).

The eight-episode DC Studios drama series continues The Batman epic crime saga that filmmaker Matt Reeves began with Warner Bros. Pictures’ global blockbuster The Batman, and centers on the character played by Farrell in the film.

The series is executive produced by Matt Reeves, Dylan Clark, Colin Farrell, Lauren LeFranc, who writes and serves as showrunner, Craig Zobel, who directs the first three episodes, and Bill Carraro. Based on characters created for DC by Bob Kane with Bill Finger, the show is produced by Reeves’ 6th & Idaho Productions and Dylan Clark Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, where Reeves and 6th & Idaho are under an overall deal. Daniel Pipski also serves as executive producer.

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mountainman
mountainman - 9/23/2024, 10:48 AM
First episode was great. Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti were both amazing.

Personally I’m 100% ok with no Batman. HBO has a long track record of producing top tier crime dramas. Excited to see Penguin’s rise from henchman to mob boss!
ItsNotForMeWahh
ItsNotForMeWahh - 9/23/2024, 11:12 AM
@mountainman - It really was a great episode. Had me fully engaged the whole time. Can't wait for more
mountainman
mountainman - 9/23/2024, 11:25 AM
@ItsNotForMeWahh - I was unsure about the younger sidekick character at first, but he was even a good addition. Good audience surrogate character and he brings out Oz’s humanity.

Sofia Falcone is legit psycho scary.

ItsNotForMeWahh
ItsNotForMeWahh - 9/23/2024, 11:34 AM
@mountainman - Agree on all points! I can't say there is anything I've seen Cristin Milioti in that I didn't like at least her in. Even her brief appearance in How I Met Your Mother was great, despite the ending sucking
mountainman
mountainman - 9/23/2024, 12:02 PM
@ItsNotForMeWahh - Yes she is consistently good, but there was something about how she played Sofia that was specifically unnerving to me.
ItsNotForMeWahh
ItsNotForMeWahh - 9/23/2024, 12:14 PM
@mountainman - User Comment Image
HashTagSwagg
HashTagSwagg - 9/23/2024, 4:17 PM
@ItsNotForMeWahh - That's not acting, the bangs in her eye are forcing her to blink.
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 9/23/2024, 10:48 AM
So, for a guy who wasn't that crazy about "The Batman," is this series worth it? I've heard nothing but great things....
bobevanz
bobevanz - 9/23/2024, 10:51 AM
@lazlodaytona - it's one episode lol make up or your own mind for once
MarkCassidy
MarkCassidy - 9/23/2024, 10:51 AM
@lazlodaytona - TBH, I thought the first ep was pretty good, but I wouldn't go much further than that. I feel like people are overhyping it way too much... then again, I also feel that way about The Batman.
mountainman
mountainman - 9/23/2024, 11:04 AM
@lazlodaytona - If you tend to like other HBO crime dramas like The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, and The Wire, this seems more in line with those than standard comic fare. Being one episode in, we don’t know if it can come close to the greatness of those classics, but it has that feel and was an enjoyable watch that set up a compelling conflict for the season.
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 9/23/2024, 11:27 AM
@bobevanz - gee, thanks dude
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 9/23/2024, 11:27 AM
@MarkCassidy - kinda the vibe I have too
bobevanz
bobevanz - 9/23/2024, 10:50 AM
It's better this way, if you want to go ridiculous comic book shtick then make it animated. Loved the first episode
Ha1frican
Ha1frican - 9/23/2024, 10:59 AM
How have we not moved past this dumbass sentiment by this point?
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 9/23/2024, 11:05 AM
@Ha1frican - I get yah

Like what exactly constitutes a comic book show?.

Comic books are just another art form in which you can tell stories of any kind so the only thing imo it needs to be a “comic book show” is that it should just be based on a comic book lol which this is since these are characters from there.

It’s perfectly fine saying that one views it as a crime drama which it is aswell but it’s just an odd thing to say since comic books are wide ranging from superhero tales to detective stories
FireandBlood
FireandBlood - 9/23/2024, 11:31 AM
@Ha1frican - Apparently not.
Deadinside
Deadinside - 9/24/2024, 9:40 AM
@FireandBlood -
@Ha1frican -
@TheVisionary25 -
People's heads nearly spin clean off of their bodies when you ask if they had ever seen the "comic book" movie that starred Tom Hanks & Paul Newman, along with Daniel Craig & Michael Shannon...! ☮️😁
HermanM
HermanM - 9/23/2024, 11:00 AM
Funny, neither do I!

Farell looks more like grim n gritty Big Boy Caprice than he does the Penguin.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 9/23/2024, 11:06 AM
I think in The Batman , they have people that call him that but he doesn’t like it…

I don’t mind that take but as Farrell said , it would be cool to see him own it by the end of the season or some point in the future as his moniker.

It would be like taking back something that was derogatorily used against him and reinventing it into something that has a a more fearsome meaning behind it.

User Comment Image
SATW42
SATW42 - 9/23/2024, 11:06 AM
I totally understand what the creator MEANS, I just wish they would word it differently.

Just say it isn't a super hero story, instead of "it's not a comic book show"

A history of Violence was a graphic novel and the creators didn't feel the need to say "this isn't a comic book movie"
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 9/23/2024, 11:24 AM
@SATW42 - exactly

It’s not just her but a lot of creatives feel like comic books just mean superheroes which isn’t true

It’s a wide ranging art form , hell we have romance stories in it haha
BIGBMH
BIGBMH - 9/23/2024, 12:51 PM
@SATW42 - Well said. It's irritating to hear "comic book" spoken about as if it's a genre rather than a medium. This also gives an impression of not thinking much of the perceived genre.

I'm fine with loose adaptations that aren't very firmly rooted in any particular stories from the source material. However, I feel like you should at least take the time to understand what this material and its medium are before working on a show like this and talking about what it is and isn't. You're taking from the mythology of Batman and the medium of comics. The only reason this opportunity exists is because of the work people have done in those two realms.
kirbyfan
kirbyfan - 9/23/2024, 3:54 PM
@SATW42 - If you're not going to do the actual Penguin, then don't call it The Penguin! It may not be a super hero show, but it also ISN'T THE PENGUIN either!
DocSpock
DocSpock - 9/23/2024, 11:10 AM

I thought the first episode was pretty good.

But they don't want a comic book show about an iconic comic book character called a comic book show. Whatever...

Elitist d!ckheads.
ItsNotForMeWahh
ItsNotForMeWahh - 9/23/2024, 11:11 AM
The first episode was fantastic, can't wait to watch more
FireandBlood
FireandBlood - 9/23/2024, 11:28 AM
Someone tell her that comic books can, in fact be, crime dramas. Mind blowing, I know. 🙄
99OPTIMISTPRIME
99OPTIMISTPRIME - 9/23/2024, 12:19 PM
It's a comic book show!🤣 That's what's always been funny about how some people view the Batman franchise. Sure it can easily be gritty and grounded. But there's still an absurdity to the concept. You don't have to apologize for it like it's so uncool and childish. Just embrace it.
TheNewYorker
TheNewYorker - 9/23/2024, 12:52 PM
I don’t care what any of those people say, i’m enjoying the show.
Forthas
Forthas - 9/23/2024, 12:58 PM
This woman gets it. EVERY time DC makes a grounded character driven film or show...The Dark Knight Trilogy, Man of Steel, Joker, The Batman, and now Penguin, they hit it out of the park. When they start making musicals and comedies and turn in trash like the DCEU and what is looking to be the DCU it goes to SH*T. You would think that after two decades of this same dynamic they would invest their resources on the one approach that has NEVER failed.
MisterBones
MisterBones - 9/23/2024, 1:12 PM
Still a comic book show. It’s centered around a character from comic books, sorry lady
Thing94
Thing94 - 9/23/2024, 8:01 PM
@MisterBones - Absolutely
ModHaterSLADE
ModHaterSLADE - 9/23/2024, 1:38 PM
Gotta be my favorite role from Farell, he's definitely redeemed from Bullseye.
kirbyfan
kirbyfan - 9/23/2024, 3:48 PM
@ModHaterSLADE - I prefer Bullseye! I want the actual comic book characters!
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 9/23/2024, 2:09 PM
“I don’t view our show as a comic book show."

I hate this attitude.

It is a comic book show. You think because it's gritty and semi-serious that separates it from comic book material? Comic books, Batman comic books even have been darker, grittier and far more serious than any adaptation in movies or television yet.
kirbyfan
kirbyfan - 9/23/2024, 3:51 PM
Don't use THE PENQUIN if it's not a comic book show!!
I wouldn't hire these people if they don't want to do the characters right! Not interested in their EXCUSES and REASONS for not doing the show properly. If you want to do something else then create your own characters and make your own show.
Thing94
Thing94 - 9/23/2024, 8:02 PM
It is and it is based off a comic book character so shut yer trap
MyCoolYoung
MyCoolYoung - 9/23/2024, 10:26 PM
All the grit and grime won't stop it from being a comic book show based upon comic book characters

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