HBO Max orders 'true crime' comedy with Gorilla Grodd and Jimmy Olsen

HBO Max gave a straight-to-series order for The People v. Gorilla Grodd: a half-hour comedy presented as a 'true crime docuseries' in eight episodes, that places Jimmy Olsen at the center of an unconventional investigation.

The Case: A Dead King and an Unlikely Defendant

In the official premise, a super-intelligent ape was convicted of murdering his father, the King of Gorilla City. The series follows Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo), a reporter at the Daily Planet, as it reopens the case that made Gorilla Grodd the most famous defendant in Metropolis.

Who Returns and Who Joins the Cast

In addition to Skyler Gisondo, the actors who appeared in the 2025 Superman film reprise their roles: Beck Bennett, Mikaela Hoover and Wendell Pierce. The cast also adds new names to the franchise, including Mary Holland, Eduardo Franco, Arian Moayed, Dan Perrault, Andrew Leeds, and Tim Baltz.

Jimmy Tatro as Grodd and the Tone of the Series

The role of Gorilla Grodd will be played by Jimmy Tatro; the actor already has experience in comedies that satirize the true-crime format, after notable turns in Netflix's Who Drew the Dicks? / American Vandal. HBO Max describes the series as a documentary-style investigation, but with a clearly comedic tone.

No release date has been set. An initial graphic teaser was released by the platform, and the Superman film is available in 4K Ultra HD on Amazon.

JC Agora Team Commentary

The venture blends the current appeal of crime-documentary storytelling with humor and the superhero universe, signaling that DC and HBO Max are willing to experiment with formats and play with the franchise's meta-language.

Source consulted: Consequence