'The Penguin' Boss Is Heading Back to Gotham for a Poison Ivy TV Series at HBO

For years, a Poison Ivy TV series has been the kind of wish that comes up whenever fans argue over which Batman villain deserves a solo spotlight. Gotham’s eco-obsessed femme fatale has plenty of screen history, yet she has never been the main focus of a movie or TV show. That made a dedicated project feel perpetually just out of reach.

Ivy first appeared in the comics in 1966 as a botanical enemy of Batman, and she has been played by a long list of actors since. Uma Thurman, Clare Foley and Maggie Geha have all brought the character to life, and Bridget Regan played Pamela Isley on the CW’s ‘Batwoman’. Meanwhile, Lake Bell voices her in HBO Max’s animated ‘Harley Quinn’.

Now the long wait may be ending. A Poison Ivy series is in the works at HBO, with ‘The Penguin’ showrunner and executive producer Lauren LeFranc in talks to produce the show, which comes from Warner Bros. and DC Comics. Variety has also confirmed that the project is in the works at HBO.

There is an important catch about what LeFranc’s role would be. She would only be producing the new series, not writing the expansion of the character’s story, and no writers are attached at this time. No lead has been cast either.

Fans hoping for another trip through the gritty corner of Gotham seen in ‘The Penguin’ may want to temper expectations. The series is reportedly separate from Matt Reeves’ Batman universe. It is said to be in early stages, and HBO declined to comment.

According to the reporting, the delay was largely a matter of corporate timing. The outlet had been tracking the project for many months, and plans to move forward were on pause because of the Paramount and Warner Bros. merger.

The path to this point has been bumpy, with rumors pulling in different directions. In July, scooper Jeff Sneider said on ‘The Hot Mic’ that DC Studios might have a Poison Ivy show in the works. Then in August, The Ankler reported that Catwoman and Poison Ivy shows had been pitched to DC and HBO, but that both studios passed. Scarlett Johansson’s name was briefly floated in connection with Ivy, though it remains unclear whether those pitches are connected to the project now moving forward.

The news also arrives during a turbulent stretch for DC’s television slate. Several planned series, including ‘Waller’, ‘Paradise Lost’ and ‘Booster Gold’, were reported to be on hold. Against that backdrop, a Poison Ivy show getting back on track stands out.

LeFranc has serious credibility in this corner of DC. ‘The Penguin’ was the first live-action spinoff from a Batman movie, and it aired on HBO in 2024 to praise from critics and fans for its gritty gangster story. It earned 24 Emmy nominations, and the series won 9 Emmys. Colin Farrell won both an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his lead performance.

HBO has clearly wanted to keep her close. She signed a 2-year overall deal with HBO and HBO Max and launched her own production banner, Acid and Tender Productions. Before Gotham, her credits included ‘Impulse’, ‘Agents of SHIELD’, ‘Chuck’ and ‘Hemlock Grove’.

The character’s modern popularity gives the series plenty to draw from. In ‘Harley Quinn’, Harley and Ivy become a couple by the end of season 2, and Ivy discovers the true potential of her powers while developing a social conscience. That version has helped turn her into a fan favorite well beyond the comics.

On the page, DC announced a ‘Poison Ivy’ miniseries in March 2022, then expanded it into an ongoing series in February 2023. A live-action show could pull from that more character-driven material, or from the animated series’ blend of humor and heart. Which direction HBO takes will depend on who ends up writing it.

For now, the project is clearly in its earliest stages, with no writer, no star and no release window. Still, a character who has spent decades as a supporting player may finally get the lead role, and with a proven Gotham storyteller on board, that is a promising start.