New information indicates that the HBO series with the characters Gorilla Grodd and Jimmy Olsen will begin filming in 2024. The confirmation came from Peter Safran, co-CEO of DC Studios, during an interview with Brazilian content creator Good Nerd, amid publicity activities for the next Supergirl film. Safran also took the opportunity to offer hints about the future of the DC Universe, including the planned introduction of Batman in the reboot with “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” and the eventual unification of the Justice League into a feature film.
Regarding Justice League, Safran commented: “We know that eventually you’re going to go in that direction.” However, he emphasized that, at the moment, the attention is focused on the projects already announced, listing: “Supergirl, Green Lanterns for HBO, Clayface this fall, Man of Tomorrow, Batman Part 2. You know we are going to do Batman: The Brave and the Bold, which brings Batman to the DC Universe.”
Safran confirmed the news of the series, stating: “We’ve already talked about the Gorilla Grodd series for HBO, which we’ll start filming this year. In fact, that’s big news. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that!”
The next releases and the new phase of the DC Universe in cinemas and TV
DC’s film and series schedule will undergo significant transformations in the coming years. DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran are articulating a strategy to create a more interconnected and consistent content universe. This new chapter, called “Gods and Monsters”, marks the starting point of this restructuring. Recognizing the complexity of keeping up with these important changes is essential, which is why we present a summary of projects in development, as well as those that have been officially canceled or are temporarily suspended.
Details about the highly anticipated release of the Supergirl movie
The renewed DC Extended Universe will feature a new version of Supergirl. The film, previously titled “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow”, is inspired by the acclaimed comic book by Tom King and Bilquis Evely. This representation of the heroine will have a youth marked by her life on a fragment of Krypton that was displaced after the planet’s destruction, a scenario that Gunn describes as “a horrible situation where she saw everyone around her die.” Milly Alcock, known for her role in “House of the Dragon”, was cast to play Supergirl, and will be directed by Craig Gillespie, from “I, Tonya” and “Cruella”.
HBO’s highly anticipated Lanterns series with Hal Jordan and John Stewart
The long-awaited Green Lantern series is finally taking shape. “Lanterns” will be a crime drama with an original premise, evoking the style of “True Detective”, and will focus on the figures of Hal Jordan and John Stewart. Kyle Chandler from “Friday Night Lights” has been cast as Hal, while Aaron Pierre from “The Underground Railroad” will play John. The cast will also feature Kelly Macdonald.
Production of the Cara de Barro film advances with news about its classification
Production on a film about the villain Clayface, scripted by Mike Flanagan, is progressing quickly at DC. Flanagan, acclaimed for works such as “The Haunting of Hill House” and “Doctor Sleep”, had expressed a desire to develop a Clayface film with elements of “horror/suspense/tragedy”. However, due to multiple television commitments, he will not be directing. James Watkins, known for “Speak No Evil,” is tipped to direct, targeting a fall 2026 release. Tom Rhys Harries will star as the titular character. Safran and Gunn promise a body horror film rated for over 18s. Although a previous Deadline report suggested that Clayface would be one of the main villains of “Batman Part II” and the production was associated with Matt Reeves and Lynn Harris’ 6th & Idaho Productions, which indicated a setting in the Batman universe, Gunn has already clarified that the film has *no* connection to the “Batman Epic Crime Saga” and is, in fact, integrated into the main DC Universe. Therefore, previous rumors about his appearance in “Batman Part II” should not be confirmed.
Man of Tomorrow: Alliances and adversaries in the next Superman film
We’ve known for some time that James Gunn was involved in his first post-“Superman” film project in the DC Universe, and it looks like he’ll be following a familiar line. David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros., revealed in an investor conference call: “We are thrilled to share that James Gunn is now writing and preparing to direct the next ‘Superfamily’ film.” Gunn, however, had already commented to EW that this project would not exactly be “Superman 2”, declaring: “Is it a direct sequel to Superman? I wouldn’t necessarily say.” In a move that surprised fans, Gunn revealed the film’s title and release date via Twitter. “Man of Tomorrow” will hit theaters on July 9, 2027, marking almost exactly two years after the release of “Superman.” Jim Lee’s promotional art hints at an alliance between David Corenswet’s Superman and Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor, as they both face a common enemy (is it Brainiac? General Zod? Apocalypse?). The inclusion of Milly Alcock’s Supergirl and other “Superfamily” members like Steel, Superboy, and Mon-El wouldn’t be a surprise.
At the end of last year, it was announced that DC Studios and HBO Max were developing a fictional true crime series set in the DC Universe, called “DC Crime”. According to information from Variety, the series would adopt the format of a true-crime documentary, with the presentation of Jimmy Olsen, and its first season would focus on the figure of Gorilla Grodd.
Jimmy Olsen, played by Skyler Gisondo, was one of the prominent characters in the Superman film released last year. Gorilla Grodd, created by writer John Broome and artist Carmine Infantino, made his first appearance in The Flash #106, in May 1959. He is portrayed as a super-intelligent ape, endowed with super strength and speed, as well as possessing powers of telepathy and telekinesis (Gorilla Grodd reached 35th position on IGN’s list of the 100 Greatest Comic Book Villains of All Time). The expectation is that “DC Crime” will feature a Gorilla Grodd fully rendered in computer graphics, running through the streets of Metropolis.
Grodd has already had several adaptations for other media. He appeared in the animated film “Batman Ninja” and was a villain in NetherRealm’s fighting game “Injustice 2.” His live-action debut took place in the series “The Flash”, part of the Arrowverse, where he was one of the main antagonists, and later as a secondary antagonist in the third season of the 2016 spin-off, “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow”.
There is a fair amount of uncertainty regarding the future of the DC Universe beyond “Man of Steel,” which is set to premiere next year and is being filmed for a summer 2027 release. Co-CEO James Gunn recently confirmed that the TV series “Booster Gold” and “Paradise Lost” are still in production, but the film “The Authority” has been officially canceled.
“The Authority” had been one of the more surprising projects announced as part of the overarching “Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters,” the DC Universe reboot conceived by Gunn and Safran three years ago. At the time, Gunn described “The Authority,” which focuses on the WildStorm Universe’s infamously brutal superhero team of the same name, as a “great movie,” but the production faced significant challenges.
The question that remains is: when will “Booster Gold”, “Paradise Lost” and now the “Gorilla Grodd/Jimmy Olsen” series be released? Considering Safran’s mention that filming on Gorilla Grodd takes place this year, it appears to be the project with the most imminent release. We currently have confirmed release dates for the HBO series “Lanterns”, the films “Supergirl” and “Clayface”, in addition to the aforementioned “Man of Tomorrow”.
