DC’s ‘People v. Gorilla Grodd’ Mockumentary Series Set at HBO Max, Skyler Gisondo and Jimmy Tatro to Star

HBO Max is officially moving forward with their DC Studios mockumentary series, now titled “The People v. Gorilla Grodd.”

via: CBM

HBO Max has given an eight-episode, straight-to-series order to a new half-hour comedy, The People v. Gorilla Grodd (f.k.a. DC Crime), from DC Studios and Warner Bros. Television.

The Max Original comedy 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 series also stars Mary Holland, Eduardo Franco, Arian Moayed, Dan Perrault, Andrew Leeds, and Tim Baltz. Their respective roles have not been revealed. Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault will serve as showrunners, writers, and executive producers, with Yacenda set to direct all episodes. James Gunn and Peter Safran also serve as executive producers.

According to the first officially released plot details for The People v. Gorilla Grodd, the series follows a superintelligent ape who 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.

James Gunn and Peter Safran, executive producers and DC Studios' co-CEOs, 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."

"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," they concluded.

Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault, showrunners, writers, and executive producers, added, "We’re excited by the challenge of creating a series that feels less like an entry into the DCU and more like an artefact 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," they continued. "And while we can’t speak for audiences here yet, we already know it’s a huge hit in Metropolis. They love this series."

Amy Gravitt, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, Head of HBO & HBO Max Comedy Series, noted, "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."

An in-universe press release has also been revealed, shedding additional light on how the mockumentary will play out and Grodd's alleged crime of killing his father and consuming his brain. So far, there has been nothing to suggest the DCU's Flash—Grodd's greatest enemy in the comics—will appear.

If you read the Instagram comments over on James Gunn's page, it seems people aren't truly excited for this series, especially when there has been conflicting reports regarding the futures of Booster Gold and Brave and the Bold. They just canceled the Waller and Paradise series. We also heard they aren't moving forward with shows based on Catwoman and Poison Ivy, as well as a movie based on The Authority.

So as a comic book fan I will check it out when it premieres, but I don't understand why James and Peter are focusing on these left-of-center shows and characters, when he should be focusing on building up the DCU with his A-list characters such as Wonder Woman, Batman, The Flash and Aquaman.