When Lauren LeFranc got the call to create a Max mini series focused on Colin Farrell's portrayal of “The Penguin” from Matt Reeves’ 2022 film The Batman, she found that depicting the rise of the notorious Gotham criminal felt good.
“It felt very freeing, because he is an a-hole,” LeFranc tells us. “He’s a lot of things, but at the same time, I understand. I get it. There's something really exciting about just doing it, saying whatever you want, not caring what other people think.”
Lefranc speaks with Eric Deggans about the challenges of adapting a well known comic book villain into a complex, three dimensional character for The Penguin. She shares why her perspective as a woman writing a show about a middle-aged crime boss makes for interesting storytelling. And, of course, she talks about working with Colin Farrell as both the star of the show and a hands-on executive producer.