HBO Boss Stunned As Emmys Snub The Penguin Star Colin Farrell
Colin Farrell misses out as Adolescence star Stephen Graham clinches victory.
HBO's top exec was just as baffled as a lot of us: Colin Farrell left this year's Emmys without a trophy for The Penguin. Given the buzz heading in, that was not the outcome many expected.
HBO's boss weighs in
HBO chairman and CEO Casey Bloys told Deadline he was genuinely surprised Farrell didn't win Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. That Emmy instead went to Stephen Graham for Adolescence. Bloys kept it simple and honest about how these nights go.
"I was surprised that Colin [didn't win] - he's a great guy, I was a little surprised. But that's awards shows, it's unpredictable."
Why the shock?
Farrell's turn as Oswald 'Oz' Cobb in The Penguin picked up right where The Batman left him: a mid-tier Gotham fixer with much bigger ambitions. Over eight episodes, the HBO miniseries tracks Oz's climb from schlubby also-ran to ice-cold operator, with flashbacks that unpack a childhood so bruised it could compete with Bruce Wayne's. It was a meaty, showy performance in a series that critics and fans got behind, which is why his loss felt like one of those classic awards curveballs.
So what's next for Oz?
Farrell will be back under the prosthetics for The Batman 2, but temper expectations if you were hoping for a Penguin-centric sequel. He told Deadline he only has a small part and called the script "extraordinary." Also, if you were hoping to see more of Cristin Milioti's razor-sharp Sofia Falcone from The Penguin, director Matt Reeves told MTV she isn't in the sequel, explaining that the movie was already deep into its script by the time the show came together.
- The Batman 2 hits theaters on October 1, 2027.
- Colin Farrell returns as the Penguin, but he says his role is limited this time around.
- Cristin Milioti is not returning as Sofia Falcone; Reeves says the script was already too far along.
Awards are weird, Gotham is eternal, and Oz will live to scheme another day — just not as the center of attention in the next movie.