HBO Max has ordered a new Superman TV show with the big Gorilla Grodd murder mystery. However, the show’s ending may already be solved for longtime DC fans. It will be a comedy with eight episodes, each lasting half an hour.
The People v. Gorilla Grodd has been greenlit for production by HBO Max. The series will be a spin-off of James Gunn’s Superman. It will focus on Superman’s Jimmy Olsen, played by Skyler Gisondo, investigating a reopened case related to Gorilla Grodd.
“A superintelligent ape is convicted of murdering his father, the King of Gorilla City. In an eight-part “true” crime docuseries, the Daily Planet’s Jimmy Olsen reopens the case, investigating whether Gorilla Grodd was wrongly convicted in one of Metropolis’ most famous murder trials,” the official synopsis reads.
However, long-time DC fans may already know where the show is headed. In the comics, the truth about the case was already revealed. Grodd killed his father, the King of Gorilla City, to seize the throne. The satirical series is a retelling of this story with a mockumentary true-crime twist.
What to expect from the eight-part DC true-crime comedy
The eight-part DC show will feature familiar faces from the 2025 Superman movie, starring David Corenswet. Although Superman himself will not be the center of the story, the Daily Planet’s journalist Jimmy Olsen will lead the show.
In an official statement, Gunn and Peter Safran said, “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.”
The ensemble also includes Jimmy Tatro, Beck Bennett, Mikaela Hoover, Wendell Pierce, Mary Holland, Eduardo Franco, Arian Moayed, Dan Perrault, Andrew Leeds, and Tim Baltz.
Gunn, Safran, and Perrault will executive produce alongside Tony Yacenda, who directed all the episodes of the series. Yacenda and Perrault also wrote the show and will serve as showrunners.
