That’s a wrap on one of the DCU’s most unexpected projects. Filming has officially finished on The People v. Gorilla Grodd, a new eight-episode series coming to HBO Max.
The show marks DC Studios’ first step into true crime, told as a mockumentary from Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault, the creators of American Vandal. If you remember how seriously that Netflix series treated a high school prank, you have a good idea of the tone to expect.
The Story
Skyler Gisondo returns as Jimmy Olsen, the Daily Planet photographer he played in James Gunn’s Superman. This time, Jimmy teams up with the Planet to investigate whether Gorilla Grodd was wrongly convicted in a case involving his father, the King of Gorilla City.
For anyone who doesn’t know him, Grodd is one of DC’s strangest and most beloved villains: a super-intelligent, telepathic gorilla best known as an enemy of the Flash. Building a straight-faced true-crime series around him is exactly the kind of swing that makes comic book fans curious.
The Cast
Jimmy Tatro stars as Grodd, alongside Wendell Pierce as Perry White, Mikaela Hoover as Cat Grant and Beck Bennett as Steve Lombard, rounding out the Daily Planet newsroom. Tatro is no stranger to the format, having starred in American Vandal himself.
James Gunn has confirmed the series takes place after Man of Tomorrow, placing it firmly inside the new DCU timeline rather than off in its own corner.
A Different Kind of Superhero Show
Most comic book series lean on big action. This one appears to lean on interviews, evidence boards and courtroom drama instead, which could help the DCU stand out at a time when audiences are hungry for something different.
It’s a bold, weird idea, and that’s exactly why fans can’t wait to see how it turns out.