The ongoing WGA strike has continued in full force since it first began at the start of May. Multiple productions across the industry have ground to a halt in the wake of picketers forming blockades on site, calling for mass workplace reform. Per a report from Deadline, the latest series to pump the brakes on its schedule is Matt Reeves‘ spin-off series The Penguin, which has Colin Farrell reprising his role of the iconic Gotham villain.
In tandem with the upcoming theatrical sequel The Batman – Part II, which will see Robert Pattinson return as the Caped Crusader, director Matt Reeves has been hard at work on his HBO Max (now just “Max”) spin-off series The Penguin, which is set as an eight-episode drama series focused on the ongoing activities of Penguin, the scarred Mafioso who rules Gotham’s dark and sinister underbelly alongside the Falcone crime family. While production has been in full swing since February, Reeves and his crew pumped the brakes on their schedule today when picketers from WGA East showed up on location in Weschester, New York. Local guilds reportedly refused to cross the picket lines, effectively putting shooting on hold. Whether the pause will continue on tomorrow remains to be seen, but the ripple of dispute between writers and the WGA continues to be felt nationwide.
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The Penguin stars Colin Farrell as Penguin, along with Cristin Milioti as female lead Sofia Falcone. Michael Zegen (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) was also cast as Alberto Falcone, along with Clancy Brown (John Wick: Chapter 4) as Salvatore Maroni. Shohreh Aghdashloo (Ghostbusters: Afterlife), Michael Kelly (House of Cards), and Deirdre O’Connell (Outer Range) were brought on in currently undisclosed roles as well. Producers include Reeves, Farrell, Dylan Clark, Daniel Pipski, Adam Kassan, Lauren LeFranc, Craig Zobel, Lauren LeFranc, Bill Carraro. LeFranc also serves as writer and showrunner while Zobel is noted as director of the first three episodes.
The Penguin is set to release on Max sometime in 2024.
Related: Game of Thrones Spinoff A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Suspends Production Due to WGA Strike
Other Shows Currently On Hold Due to Picketing
Image Source: Netflix
Numerous other productions across television and cinema have done their part in pausing in observance of the historical WGA strike. Along with the overwhelming majority of late night talk shows going off the air, including Saturday Night Live, some of the most noteworthy features so far include Netflix’s final season of Stranger Things, HBO’s series Hacks, as well as the next upcoming Game of Thrones’ spin-off The Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Martial arts comedy Cobra Kai is also on hold, along with the second season of The Last of Us, the sixth season of Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale, FX’s American Horror Story, and Showtime’s Yellowjackets and the seventh and final season of Billions.
There has been very little sign of the strike coming to an end any time soon, and that is a bad sign for Hollywood and the growing backlog of projects that have just started getting back to a normal schedule following the Covid pandemic. However, with more and more actors joining the cause, it is clear that The Penguin will not be the last show impacted by the strikes.
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