HBO's 'The Penguin' Breaks Streaming Records
HBO's latest series, "The Penguin," has made a significant impact since its premiere on September 19, garnering an impressive 5.3 million views across various platforms in its first four days. This figure includes streaming on HBO's American channels and digital viewing on Max, showcasing the show's widespread appeal. The series, featuring Colin Farrell reprising his role as the notorious gangster Oswald "Oz" Cobblepot from "The Batman," has outperformed several previous HBO hits, including the final season of "Succession," which attracted 4.9 million viewers, and the second season of "The White Lotus," which garnered 4.1 million views. Only the fourth season of "True Detective," with 5.7 million viewers, surpassed its initial viewership.
Notably, "The Penguin" has set a record for the largest audience for a new series on Max within the first four days, surpassing even "The Last of Us," which premiered in January 2023. The series explores Oz's rise to power in Gotham's criminal underworld following the death of Carmine Falcone, played in flashbacks by Mark Strong. Critics have praised the show, with Aramide Tinubu from Variety calling it "a brilliant, twisted, disturbing and engaging exploration of crime," contributing to its 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The ensemble cast also includes Cristin Milioti, Renzi Velez, Deidra O'Connell, Clancy Brown, Carmen Ejogo, and Michael Zegen, all of whom contribute to the rich narrative crafted by showrunner Lauren LeFranc and executive producers Matt Reeves and Dylan Clark.
