HBO Greenlights Standalone Poison Ivy Series with 'The Penguin' Producer

Key points

• Lauren LeFranc, the creator and showrunner of 'The Penguin,' is in talks to produce a new series focused on Poison Ivy for HBO and DC Studios.
• The series is in early development stages with no writers or cast currently attached; LeFranc will serve solely as a producer, not a writer.
• The project was previously paused due to the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger but has now resumed development.
• The series is explicitly not part of Matt Reeves' Batman universe, which includes Robert Pattinson's upcoming 'The Batman Part II' in 2028.
• Poison Ivy, the alter ego of Dr. Pamela Isley, has appeared in various live-action and animated projects but has never fronted her own standalone series.

Background

This development follows the success of 'The Penguin,' which aired on HBO in 2024 and won nine Emmys in 2025. The character Poison Ivy has been portrayed by various actors, including Uma Thurman in 'Batman & Robin' (1997), Bridget Regan in 'Batwoman,' and Lake Bell in the animated series 'Harley Quinn.' The broader DC Universe is expanding with other villain-focused projects, including the recent 'Clayface' film and the upcoming 'The People vs. Gorilla Grodd' series.

How outlets are covering it

Variety, Deadline, and The Hollywood Reporter all confirm that Lauren LeFranc is in talks to produce the series for HBO. Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter emphasize that LeFranc will only be producing, not writing, and that no writers are currently attached. All three outlets agree that the series is not part of Matt Reeves' Batman universe. Deadline notes that the project was previously stalled due to the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, a detail not mentioned by Variety or The Hollywood Reporter. The Yahoo source provides no additional unique information beyond confirming the basic facts reported by the other outlets.

Why it matters

This marks the first standalone live-action series for a major female DC villain, expanding the HBO/DC Comics partnership beyond 'The Penguin.' It signals a continued strategy to develop spinoff content from popular DC properties, even if they are not directly tied to the main Batman film universe. The involvement of a successful showrunner like LeFranc suggests HBO is prioritizing quality and continuity in its DC adaptations.

What to watch

The next steps will likely involve finding writers and a lead actor for the series. HBO has not yet officially greenlit the project, but the involvement of LeFranc and the resumption of development after the merger suggests it is moving forward. The series is expected to air on HBO if it gets picked up.