The People v. Gorilla Grodd: Superman Spin-off has officially been greenlit
The new series starring Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen will be a mockumentary
Now it's official: The series starring Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen has officially been greenlit by HBO Max. Eight episodes have been ordered under the title "The People v. Gorilla Grodd," as reported by Variety. The series is a spin-off of James Gunn's 2025 "Superman" film.
As in the big-screen adventure, Gisondo will once again play the role of Jimmy Olsen. Prior to "Superman," the actor appeared in Paul Thomas Anderson's coming-of-age drama "Licorice Pizza," among other projects. Jimmy Tatro is set to portray the titular Gorilla Grodd. Previously, he was part of the cast of Kevin Williamson's horror film "Scream 7," among other projects. Olsen works at the Metropolis newspaper, the Daily Planet, making him a colleague of Lois Lane and Clark Kent, aka Superman. In the original DC Comics, Grodd is a highly intelligent gorilla who has already appeared as an antagonist to various superheroes such as The Flash, Batman, and Superman.
The new DC series is a mockumentary
"The People v. Gorilla Grodd" is a mockumentary. The first details about the plot have already been released. According to Variety, the story is described as follows:
"A superintelligent ape is convicted of murdering his father, the King of Gorilla City. In an eight-part 'true' crime docuseries, the Daily Planet's Jimmy Olsen reopens the case, investigating whether Gorilla Grodd was wrongly convicted in one of Metropolis' most famous murder trials."
In addition to Gisondo and Tatro, other cast members have already been announced, including Beck Bennett, Mikaela Hoover, Wendell Pierce, Mary Holland, Eduardo Franco, Arian Moayed, Andrew Leeds, and Tim Baltz. Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault serve as showrunners and writers for the series. They are also on board as executive producers alongside James Gunn and Peter Safran. Yacenda and Perrault are well-versed in the mockumentary format. With "American Vandal," the duo has already created a series for Netflix that is intended as a parody of true-crime documentaries. According to Variety, they say with a wink about their new series:
"We hope it'll appeal to fans of the comics, comedy and true crime. And while we can't speak for audiences here yet, we already know it's a huge hit in Metropolis. They love this series."
Not all DC series have been given the green light
Just recently, another series from the DC Universe, "Lanterns," premiered. It centers on Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre). The two are members of the Green Lanterns, an interstellar force that has been a staple of DC Comics for decades. Leading up to its release, "Lanterns" was compared to the dark crime series "True Detective." You can get a sense of it in the trailer:
The fact that "The People v. Gorilla Grodd" has now been greenlit is likely to come as a relief to some DC fans. After all, several other planned DC series were apparently put on hold just recently. Among those affected are "Booster Gold," the "Amanda Waller" series starring Viola Davis, and the Wonder Woman prequel "Paradise Lost."
We'll see the Man of Tomorrow on the big screen
As for the cinematic future of the DC Universe, Craig Gillespie's "Supergirl" has been a setback in recent months due to its disappointing box office performance. Even the opening weekend fell far short of the expectations one would have for a film of this magnitude. On its opening weekend, the new DC blockbuster – starring Milly Alcock as Superman's cousin – grossed just $62 million at the global box office. In the end, it grossed a mere $126 million – not even enough to recoup the production budget. To find out whether the film is good regardless of its commercial performance, check out our META review of "Supergirl."
Financially, things went much better for "Superman" a year earlier: The blockbuster ultimately grossed $618 million. Consequently, the pressure on next year's sequel, "Man of Tomorrow," is immense. After the "Supergirl" flop, a hit is expected more than ever. The sequel will see the return of David Corenswet as Superman, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, among others. Lars Eidinger will take on the role of the villain Brainiac. "Man of Tomorrow" hits theaters on July 9, 2027. Find out what to expect from the sequel in our video preview:
