Poison Ivy: Batman's opponent set to get her own TV series on HBO
Lauren LeFranc, the creator of The Penguin, is reportedly on board
An old acquaintance of Batman is set to get her own live-action TV series: Poison Ivy. The project is currently in the works at HBO. According to Deadline, it had previously been temporarily put on hold due to the merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. But now things are moving forward again. No cast members have been announced yet, but one of the creative minds behind the planned DC series about Batman's opponent is reportedly Lauren LeFranc. She's on board as a producer for the Poison Ivy adaptation, as reported by Variety.
LeFranc has previously been involved in both the Marvel and DC universes. For Marvel, she worked as a screenwriter on the TV series "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." For DC, she developed the miniseries "The Penguin," for which she served as showrunner. "The Penguin" was a spin-off of "The Batman." In the film directed by Matt Reeves, Batman was played by Robert Pattinson, while the villain Oswald "Oz" Cobb, aka The Penguin, was portrayed by Colin Farrell. In the miniseries Farrell's character was at the center of the action. According to Deadline, however, the planned series about Poison Ivy is not expected to take place within Matt Reeves' Batman universe.
Poison Ivy: A stalwart of Batman comics for decades
Poison Ivy is one of Batman's best-known adversaries and has been a staple of DC Comics for decades. Created by writers Sheldon Moldoff and Robert Kanigher and artist Carmine Infantino she made her debut in June 1966 in "Batman" #181. Also known as Pamela Lillian Isley, Poison Ivy is often described as an eco-terrorist and has the ability to control the plant world. It's an ability she uses to her advantage in battles against her adversaries. The character has appeared in several film and TV adaptations, with her cinematic appearance in the 1997 movie "Batman & Robin" being one of the best known: At that time, Poison Ivy was played by Uma Thurman.
New director for The Batman 2
And what's next for the current "Batman" film adaptation? As recently reported, production on the sequel to "The Batman" had to be put on hold because director Matt Reeves had to step down due to personal family matters. Now, however, Steven Soderbergh – known for films such as "Ocean's Eleven" – will finalize the filming of "The Batman 2" in consultation with Reeves. In an official statement, DC Studios describes the current situation:
"As Matt Reeves continues to attend to an ongoing family matter, Steven Soderbergh, as an admirer of Matt's work, approached Matt and will step in, with the full support of DC Studios, to help the writer-director complete the final weeks of principal photography on 'The Batman Part 2'. Matt and Steven will work closely together with the actors and crew to fulfill Matt's vision of the film."
Matt Reeves himself has commented on the matter via social media. The director emphasizes:
"Just to be clear, I am not leaving 'The Batman Part II'. I am profoundly grateful to Steven for coming to my aid during this challenging time to help me finish principal photography. Thank you to all for your concern and well wishes."
When will The Batman 2 hit theaters?
Given the circumstances, it's of course possible that there could still be delays in the theatrical release – even though Soderbergh's involvement has provided a quick solution to continue production. Accordingly, the studio is sticking to the previously announced release date. However, fans will have to wait for a while before they can see Robert Pattinson as the Dark Knight on the big screen again: "The Batman 2" is set to premiere on February 18, 2028.
