Gotham PD Creator Says The Batman Spinoff Was Like a “1970s Cop Show”

Gotham PD Creator Says The Batman Spinoff Was Like a "1970s Cop Show"

As a seasoned gamer with a keen eye for storytelling and a deep love for the Batman universe, I must confess that the saga of Gotham PD has left me feeling like a character from one of Terence Winter’s gritty gangster dramas – confused, disappointed, but always yearning for more.


2020 saw the emerging HBO Max streaming platform unveiling plans for a “Batman” spinoff series titled “Gotham PD,” nestled within Matt Reeves’ Batman Epic Crime Saga. This series would delve into the intricacies of Gotham City’s corruption, offering a corrupt cop’s perspective. The production was set to be overseen by Matt Reeves and Dylan Clark, with Terence Winter, acclaimed creator of “Boardwalk Empire” and writer of gangster dramas such as “The Sopranos” and “Tulsa King,” serving as the series’ writer and showrunner. However, later in 2020, Winter departed from the Warner Bros. Television project, attributing his decision to creative disagreements.

The plan was to create a TV series set in the style of 1970s cop shows, similar to Sidney Lumet’s 1981 film “Prince of the City,” but this time focusing on the Gotham City Police Department. It would capture the essence of that era and tell a story about a contemporary police officer who is the third generation of Gotham City cops. His family history includes grandfathers, fathers, and Gotham City being largely corrupt. The series would introduce us to this officer in the present day as he comes to terms with the fact that he might be unknowingly working on the wrong side.

The upcoming series, set a year prior to the events depicted in The Batman movie featuring Robert Pattinson as the younger Batman in his second year of crime-fighting, will primarily focus on Batman as an observer rather than a central figure. Winter explained that while we’ve seen him in the world, he wasn’t the main character before. Instead, the narrative will revolve around the police department and a corrupt officer.

Gotham PD Creator Says The Batman Spinoff Was Like a "1970s Cop Show"

Following a move from HBO Max to HBO, and with HBO chairman and CEO Casey Bloys insisting that spinoffs of The Batman should primarily feature prominent characters such as Ozz Cobb (Colin Farrell) in The Penguin, the series Gotham PD was put on hold at the network.

Winter stated, “I spent some time on that project, but Matt didn’t seem fond of it, so I moved on. Later, I understood that J.T. Rogers was assigned to work on it for a while, though it didn’t lead anywhere. Then I learned about ‘The Penguin’.” (It seems Winter mistakenly identified J.T. Rogers as the creator of ‘Giri/Haji’, when in fact it was Joe Barton who took over showrunning duties in 2021.)

Gotham PD Creator Says The Batman Spinoff Was Like a "1970s Cop Show"

As a devoted fan, I’d express it like this:

[Gotham PD] was initially conceived by Matt, and I must say, bravo to him! Sometimes, creativity flows seamlessly; other times, it doesn’t. There are moments when you think, ‘This is the direction we should go,’ only to realize later, ‘You know what, this just isn’t fitting.’ Also, because there was a show called Gotham, our concept, set in the Gotham City Police Department, somewhat overlapped with it,” Winter explained. “The Fox drama, to some extent, encroached on our idea, even though ours was going to be drastically different.” Winter further added, “I find The Penguin character fascinating.”

New episodes of The Penguin can be found on HBO and Max every Sunday.

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2024-09-24 20:39