DC’s Weirdest New Show Just Got Even Stranger with New Gorilla Grodd Set Photos
DC Studios is not afraid to take some strange ideas and turn them into full shows. After bringing the Daily Planet crew into the new DC Universe with James Gunn’s Superman, the studio is now going much further with one of its most unexpected projects yet. New set photos from The People v. Gorilla Grodd are giving fans a better idea of what this unusual comedy will look like.
The upcoming series is an eight-episode, half-hour mockumentary from DC Studios and Warner Bros. Television. Instead of focusing on another big superhero battle, the show will follow Jimmy Olsen as he tries to solve a bizarre murder case involving Gorilla Grodd. Skyler Gisondo returns as Jimmy, but this time he is stepping away from his usual Daily Planet reporting and becoming an amateur filmmaker.
The new photos, which have been circulating from the Atlanta set, show Gisondo working alongside Eduardo Franco. Franco, best known for Stranger Things, appears to have a role connected to Matter-Eater Lad, although that has not been officially confirmed by DC. The images also show a strange placeholder figure being used for Gorilla Grodd during filming. Since Grodd is expected to be created with CGI, the stand-in is there to help the actors and crew know where the character will be during each scene.
That alone gives the series a pretty good idea of how unusual it is going to be. The story is presented as a true-crime documentary inside the DC Universe. Grodd has already been convicted of murdering his father, the King of Gorilla City. Jimmy, however, is not convinced that the official story is correct. He decides to reopen the case and investigate whether Grodd was actually innocent.
The official logline describes the story as an investigation into one of Metropolis’ most infamous murder trials. So, instead of watching Jimmy chase supervillains across the city, viewers will see him interview people, examine evidence, and dig into an old case that involves one of DC’s strangest characters.
The format should feel familiar to fans of American Vandal. That Netflix comedy was created by Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault, who are also behind The People v. Gorilla Grodd. The pair are writing and running the new DC series, while Yacenda is directing all eight episodes. Their earlier show became known for treating ridiculous crimes with complete seriousness, using interviews, evidence, dramatic narration, and fake investigations to make the joke work.
The cast also includes Jimmy Tatro as Gorilla Grodd. Tatro previously worked with Franco on the first season of American Vandal, making their reunion another fun connection between the two projects. Mary Holland, Arian Moayed, Dan Perrault, Andrew Leeds, and Tim Baltz are also part of the cast, though their roles are still being kept under wraps.
Several familiar faces from Superman will also return. Beck Bennett is back as Steve Lombard, Mikaela Hoover returns as Cat Grant, and Wendell Pierce once again plays Daily Planet editor Perry White. That means the show will still have a strong connection to the world Gunn introduced in Superman, even though its story is taking a very different path.
James Gunn and Peter Safran previously explained to Variety why they wanted to explore this part of the DCU. They said the chemistry between the Daily Planet characters stood out while making Superman, and they believed that pairing the cast with Perrault and Yacenda could open up a different side of Metropolis. Their goal is to explore the city through Jimmy’s documentary-style investigation, mixing comedy with a darker true-crime feel.
Production is currently taking place around Atlanta, with Georgia Tech reportedly being used to represent parts of Metropolis. There is still no release date for The People v. Gorilla Grodd, but the arrival of new set photos suggests the project is moving ahead nicely.
After the more serious superhero stories coming from DC Studios, this show could end up being one of the strangest projects in the new DCU. A murder investigation led by Jimmy Olsen, a CGI Gorilla Grodd, and the creators of American Vandal is certainly not the kind of superhero show anyone would have expected a few years ago. Now fans just have to wait and see whether this bizarre idea actually works.
What do you think is the biggest risk with The People v. Gorilla Grodd?
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