Superman spin-off focusing on Jimmy Olsen lands series order at HBO Max

Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen in last year’s Superman movie

HBO Max has given an eight-episode, straight-to-series order for a half-hour comedy series set in the DC Comics universe about a superintelligent ape convicted of murdering his father.

The People v. Gorilla Grodd comes from DC Studios and Warner Bros Television and is executive produced by James Gunn, Peter Safran, Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault.

Yacenda and Perrault are also showrunners and writers. All episodes are directed by Yacenda.

The series stars Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Jimmy Tatro as Gorilla Grodd and Superman actors Beck Bennett as Steve Lombard, Mikaela Hoover as Cat Grant and Wendell Pierce as Perry White.

The cast also includes Mary Holland, Eduardo Franco, Arian Moayed, Dan Perrault, Andrew Leeds and Tim Baltz.

In the eight-part “true” crime docuseries, the Daily Planet’s Olsen investigates whether Gorilla Grodd was wrongly convicted in one of Metropolis’s most famous murder trials.

Amy Gravitt, executive VP, HBO programming and head of HBO and HBO Max comedy series, said: “We are thrilled to be working with Tony and Dan, alongside James, Peter, the entire DC team and our colleagues at WBTV, to bring these iconic DCU characters to HBO Max in a new and unexpected way.

“We already know Skyler Gisondo is pitch-perfect as Jimmy Olsen and we can’t wait for fans to experience Jimmy Tatro’s captivating and hilarious portrayal of Grodd.”

Gunn and Safran, executive producers and DC Studios’ co-chairmen and co-CEOs, said in a joint statement: “Between Skyler’s wonderful performance and the fantastic chemistry of the Daily Planet cast, we knew coming out of Superman that this would be a fun world to explore.

“We’re excited to work with the brilliant Dan Perrault and Tony Yacenda to take the audience down some of the darker and funnier streets and alleyways of the DCU as Jimmy spotlights the Metropolis criminal justice system for his docuseries.”

Yacenda and Perrault, showrunners, writers and executive producers, said in a joint statement: “We’re excited by the challenge of creating a series that feels less like an entry into the DCU and more like an artifact from it. A Daily Planet original documentary made for the people of Metropolis. We hope it’ll appeal to fans of the comics, comedy and true crime.”