DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran may have let one slip. In a new interview, Safran confirmed that the long-rumored Gorilla Grodd series for HBO Max is moving into production this year, then appeared to catch himself the moment it left his mouth.
“We’ve talked about the Gorilla Grodd show for HBO that we’ll start shooting this year,” Safran said. As the interviewer reacted with surprise, Safran added: “That’s big news by the way. I probably shouldn’t have said that.”
It’s the first time anyone at the top of DC Studios has put the start of production on the record, and it answers a question fans have been circling since the project first surfaced.
It’s the Jimmy Olsen series — Grodd is the Season 1 villain
Safran calling it “the Gorilla Grodd show” has already kicked up some confusion online, with one early post framing it as a Grodd series that contradicts the “rumor” of a Jimmy Olsen show.
To be clear: it’s the same project. There is no separate Grodd series competing with an Olsen series.
As we reported back in November, the show centers on Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo, reprising his role from Superman) and his fellow Daily Planet reporters as they investigate supervillain cases.
Grodd is the focus of Season 1, the first big bad, not the lead. American Vandal creators Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault write, showrun and executive produce, with James Gunn and Safran also executive producing for Warner Bros. Television.
Safran branding the whole thing “the Grodd show” is itself telling. The man running DC Studios instinctively sells it by its villain, not its host, a small but real signal about where DC sees the hook.
The timeline finally lines up
Safran’s “shooting this year” comment doesn’t contradict anything Gunn has said, it locks the timeline into place.
When the project first leaked in November under the reported title “DC Crime,” Gunn went to social media and shot down two specifics: there had never been a project actually titled “DC Crime,” even as a working title, and it was not arriving in 2026.
He pointed to 2027 instead, noting at the time that cameras hadn’t even rolled yet.
Safran confirming a 2026 production start fits that perfectly: shoot this year, release in 2027. The two executives are telling the same story.
What’s confirmed and what isn’t
The title remains up in the air.
Recent reports point to the series being registered under the name “American Villain,” but DC has not confirmed it, and Gunn already buried the original “DC Crime” label. Treat the title as unsettled for now.
Grodd himself is no stranger to this universe. The super-intelligent, telepathic ape already appeared in Creature Commandos, the 2024 animated series that served as the DCU’s very first project, so the HBO show isn’t introducing him cold. He’s established DCU continuity, stepping into a much larger spotlight.
What’s confirmed: the Olsen-led, Grodd-fronted series exists, it’s heading into production in 2026, and a 2027 release is the target.
What’s still in flux: the official title, a firm premiere date, and how deep into Grodd’s mythology — Gorilla City and all — the first season plans to go.
Safran also deflected questioning about the DCU Justice League and offered an update for Batman.
(note: featured image of Gorilla Grodd is from The Flash TV show)
