‘The Penguin’ showrunner in talks to produce Poison Ivy series for HBO and we’re so here for it

HBO is planning a Poison Ivy series, and Lauren LeFranc, the creator and showrunner of ‘The Penguin,’ is in talks to produce it, according to Deadline. The publication adds that Warner Bros. and DC are developing the project, which they’ve been monitoring for months since moving forward with the merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. LeFranc would serve only as a producer, with no writers or actors attached yet. Notably, HBO has not ordered the show to series as of this writing. The project will also not be part of Matt Reeves’ Batman universe, in which Robert Pattinson stars as the caped crusader.

Meanwhile, LeFranc knows Gotham’s seedy underbelly well. ‘The Penguin’ premiered on HBO on September 19, 2024, and it was the first-ever live-action spinoff of a ‘Batman’ movie. Colin Farrell introduced his version of Oz Cobb in Reeves’ 2022 ‘The Batman,’ following his rise through Gotham’s criminal underworld. The other members of the cast included Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone, as well as Rhenzy Feliz, Clancy Brown, Mark Strong, and Theo Rossi. LeFranc is credited with writing the pilot, ‘After Hours,’ which is directed by Craig Zobel. Notably, she also served as a writer and producer on ABC’s ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ before moving to Gotham.

Ivy also has a rich legacy, having first appeared in ‘Batman #181’ in June 1966, created by writer Robert Kanigher and illustrated by Sheldon Moldoff. In the comics, she is Dr. Pamela Isley, a botanist who can manipulate plants and control minds with pheromones. In 2016, she received her solo series in the DC Universe titled ‘Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death,’ followed by another ongoing series in 2022. On the big screen, Uma Thurman portrayed her in ‘Batman & Robin’ (1997), while on television, she appeared in ‘Gotham’ and ‘Batwoman.’ Her animated version first appeared in the 1990s in ‘Batman: The Animated Series’ and more recently in ‘Harley Quinn’ on HBO Max.