HBO Exec Reveals the Condition for The Penguin Season 2 (But Will It Happen?)

The Penguin was a massive success when the series premiered last fall, and ever since it ended, fans have been wondering if there will be a second season. If that’s going to happen, HBO is first going to make sure all the pieces are in place for another great story. Sarah Aubrey was one of the network executives who participated in a roundtable discussion about HBO and Max’s future for The Hollywood Reporter. During the conversation, the topic of The Penguin Season 2 came up, and Aubrey explained what it would take for that to get the green light. Using the approaches of her fellow execs as a guide, she said it would boil down to the story.

“Look, [we’re] using the model that Casey [Bloys] and [Francesca Orsi] have deployed many times over many successful limited series: if there is more story to tell, and there may be in that world,” Aubrey said. “But you don’t want to follow up something excellent with something less excellent. And it took a very long time to get this show made and we had many different iterations, so I’m just like, ‘Can I please just enjoy this for a second?!’ But as we say, we never shut the door.”

A continuation of Matt Reeves’ Batman Epic Crime Saga, The Penguin picks up from where The Batman left off, detailing Oz Cobb’s ascension up Gotham’s criminal underworld. The show received widespread critical praise, particularly for its gritty tone and impressive performances. Stars Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti even received awards consideration, with the former winning a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award.

[RELATED – How The Penguin Sets Up The Batman Part II]

Reeves has expressed interest in making The Penguin Season 2 or other spinoffs after work on 2027’s The Batman Part II is complete. It’s expected that Farrell will reprise his role as Oz in the upcoming movie sequel. However, last November, the actor admitted he had yet to read a script.

Both The Batman and The Penguin were very well-received, generating much enthusiasm for what comes next in the Batman Epic Crime Saga. With that in mind, HBO has the right strategy in place regarding The Penguin Season 2. As tempting as it would be to quickly move ahead with a continuation, building on the immense success of Season 1, it would be a major disappointment if a second season did not clear the high bar that’s been set. It’s encouraging that HBO seems to be aware of that fact. Having conversations about a second season is not the same as actually moving forward with a new batch of episodes. That won’t happen unless Reeves & Co. find a compelling tale to tell.

Whether or not The Penguin Season 2 happens will obviously depend on what transpires in The Batman Part II and how Oz’s story develops. Assuming the villain survives the movie, there could be some lingering threads to explore on TV before a third film comes together. Unfortunately, it will likely be a while before viewers get a chance to see The Penguin Season 2. With Reeves focused on The Batman Part II, even if he figures out a great story for Oz Cobb, he won’t really have time to work on it for another few years.