Moments before the Clayface review embargo lifted, Deadline has brought word that The Penguin showrunner and executive producer Lauren LeFranc is in talks to board the Poison Ivy TV series that's in the works at DC Studios.
This isn't the first time we've heard about the project, but it was put to one side while the Paramount Pictures/Warner Bros. Discovery merger took place. Interestingly, LeFranc is only being eyed to join Poison Ivy as a producer. She won't write the show or serve as showrunner, so this may be little more than DC Studios ensuring it can put "From The Producer Of The Penguin" in the trailer.
No writers have come on board yet, and if the series—which would head to HBO—moves forward, it will be set in the DCU, not the same world as Matt Reeves' The Batman movies. Given the heightened nature of a character like Poison Ivy, that arguably makes more sense.
It's still very early days for the show, and no one has been cast as Pamela Isley. The character first appeared in Batman #181 in June 1966. Created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Sheldon Moldoff, she was introduced as a botanical-themed femme fatale and became a recurring foe for Batman.
Typically portrayed as a brilliant botanist, Ivy possesses the ability to manipulate plant life and produce powerful toxins. Her motivations often revolve around protecting the natural world from humanity, making her an eco-terrorist whose actions put her at odds with Batman. However, subsequent stories have explored her more sympathetic side, particularly her relationship with Harley Quinn, which developed into a romance.
Ivy made her live-action movie debut in 1997’s Batman & Robin, played by Uma Thurman opposite George Clooney's Caped Crusader. She has also appeared in numerous animated projects, including Batman: The Animated Series, where Diane Pershing voiced the character, and the adult animated series Harley Quinn, featuring Lake Bell.
As with Clayface, many fans will likely wonder why a Poison Ivy TV series is moving forward while The Brave and the Bold remains in limbo. The DCU still doesn't have a Batman, though this news may or may not be a sign that that's about to change.
For now, we'll have to wait and see whether Poison Ivy takes root at HBO. With LeFranc potentially involved and no writer or star attached, there's still plenty of work to do before Pamela Isley makes her DCU debut.