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 "slug": "the-people-v-gorilla-grodd",
 "title": "The People v. Gorilla Grodd",
 "updated": "2026-11-01",
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 "excerpt": "The People v. Gorilla Grodd is an upcoming eight-episode HBO Max true-crime mockumentary comedy from DC Studios and Warner Bros. Television, starring Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen and Jimmy Tatro as Gorilla Grodd, set after Man of Tomorrow.",
 "snippet": "The People v. Gorilla Grodd is an upcoming eight-episode HBO Max true-crime mockumentary comedy from DC Studios and Warner Bros. Television, starring Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen and Jimmy Tatro as Gorilla Grodd, set after Man of Tomorrow.",
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 "markdown": "# The People v. Gorilla Grodd\n\n**The People v. Gorilla Grodd** is an upcoming American eight-episode half-hour comedy series for [HBO Max](https://www.edgepedia.org/hbo-max), produced by [DC Studios](https://www.edgepedia.org/dc-studios) in association with Warner Bros. Television, presented as a true-crime mockumentary in which [Daily Planet](https://www.edgepedia.org/daily-planet) photojournalist Jimmy Olsen reopens the investigation into whether the supervillain Gorilla Grodd was wrongly convicted of murdering his father, the King of Gorilla City.<sup>[1](https://press.wbd.com/us/media-release/hbo-max-orders-new-comedy-series-people-v-gorilla-grodd)</sup> It stars Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, reprising his role from James Gunn's *Superman*, with Jimmy Tatro as Gorilla Grodd.<sup>[1](https://press.wbd.com/us/media-release/hbo-max-orders-new-comedy-series-people-v-gorilla-grodd)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://www.productionlist.com/production/the-people-v-gorilla-grodd)</sup>\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Format | Eight-episode, straight-to-series half-hour comedy structured as a \"true\" crime docuseries<sup>[1](https://press.wbd.com/us/media-release/hbo-max-orders-new-comedy-series-people-v-gorilla-grodd)</sup> |\n| Order | Announced by HBO Max on August 21, 2026<sup>[1](https://press.wbd.com/us/media-release/hbo-max-orders-new-comedy-series-people-v-gorilla-grodd)</sup> |\n| Creators | Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault, the team behind Netflix's *American Vandal*, as showrunners, writers, and executive producers; Yacenda directs all episodes<sup>[1](https://press.wbd.com/us/media-release/hbo-max-orders-new-comedy-series-people-v-gorilla-grodd)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://www.productionlist.com/production/the-people-v-gorilla-grodd)</sup> |\n| Lead cast | Skyler Gisondo (Jimmy Olsen), Jimmy Tatro (Gorilla Grodd), Beck Bennett (Steve Lombard), Mikaela Hoover (Cat Grant), Wendell Pierce (Perry White)<sup>[1](https://press.wbd.com/us/media-release/hbo-max-orders-new-comedy-series-people-v-gorilla-grodd)</sup> |\n| Premise | Grodd was convicted of murdering his father, King Grodd; Olsen reopens the case as one of Metropolis' most famous murder trials<sup>[1](https://press.wbd.com/us/media-release/hbo-max-orders-new-comedy-series-people-v-gorilla-grodd)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://www.techradar.com/streaming/hbo-max/the-people-v-gorilla-grodd-hub)</sup> |\n| Production | Filming in Atlanta, Georgia, including at the Georgia Institute of Technology, through October 2026<sup>[2](https://www.productionlist.com/production/the-people-v-gorilla-grodd)</sup> |\n| DCU placement | Set after the events of *Man of Tomorrow* in overall continuity, and will not be released before that film<sup>[4](https://www.superherohype.com/news/695300-the-people-v-gorilla-grodd-dcu-timeline-man-of-tomorrow)</sup> |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Premise and format\n\nThe series is framed as an in-universe documentary. The logline that was announced has a highly intelligent ape found guilty of killing his father, the ruler of Gorilla City, while the Daily Planet's Jimmy Olsen takes up the case again, looking into whether [Gorilla Grodd](https://www.edgepedia.org/gorilla-grodd) may have been unjustly found guilty in a murder trial counted among [Metropolis](https://www.edgepedia.org/metropolis)' best known.<sup>[1](https://press.wbd.com/us/media-release/hbo-max-orders-new-comedy-series-people-v-gorilla-grodd)</sup> The in-universe synopsis describes the show as taking \"a fresh, 360-degree look at the case, revealing the 'lesser-seen side'\" of Grodd, with Olsen granted exclusive access to interview him inside Stryker's Island Penitentiary.<sup>[3](https://www.techradar.com/streaming/hbo-max/the-people-v-gorilla-grodd-hub)</sup>\n\nIn the fictional account, Grodd has consistently maintained that he did not kill and eat the brain of his father, King Grodd; he was found guilty of the offense in March 2021 and has been held in prison ever since. The documentary includes new reporting from Daily Planet staff and interviews with witnesses and experts on both Grodd's side and the Metropolis District Attorney's side, including Grodd's new counsel at the Metropolis Freedom Project.<sup>[3](https://www.techradar.com/streaming/hbo-max/the-people-v-gorilla-grodd-hub)</sup>\n\nThe showrunners described the intended effect as a series that \"feels less like an entry into the DCU and more like an artifact from it, a Daily Planet original documentary made for the people of Metropolis.\"<sup>[1](https://press.wbd.com/us/media-release/hbo-max-orders-new-comedy-series-people-v-gorilla-grodd)</sup> James Gunn, DC Studios' co-chairman and co-CEO and an executive producer on the series, characterized it as \"a DCU true crime docuseries\" when rejecting comparisons to *She-Hulk* and *Invincible*.<sup>[5](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/dc-tv-shows/james-gunn-isnt-sure-why-his-weirdest-upcoming-dcu-project-is-being-compared-to-she-hulk-and-invincible/)</sup>\n\n## Cast and crew\n\n[Skyler Gisondo](https://www.edgepedia.org/skyler-gisondo) leads as [Jimmy Olsen](https://www.edgepedia.org/jimmy-olsen), a role he played in *Superman* and will reprise in its sequel *Man of Tomorrow*.<sup>[1](https://press.wbd.com/us/media-release/hbo-max-orders-new-comedy-series-people-v-gorilla-grodd)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://www.superherohype.com/news/695300-the-people-v-gorilla-grodd-dcu-timeline-man-of-tomorrow)</sup> [Jimmy Tatro](https://www.edgepedia.org/jimmy-tatro) plays Gorilla Grodd.<sup>[1](https://press.wbd.com/us/media-release/hbo-max-orders-new-comedy-series-people-v-gorilla-grodd)</sup> The series reunites the Daily Planet newsroom cast from *Superman*: Beck Bennett as Steve Lombard, Mikaela Hoover as Cat Grant, and Wendell Pierce as Perry White.<sup>[1](https://press.wbd.com/us/media-release/hbo-max-orders-new-comedy-series-people-v-gorilla-grodd)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://www.superherohype.com/news/695300-the-people-v-gorilla-grodd-dcu-timeline-man-of-tomorrow)</sup> Additional cast includes Mary Holland, Eduardo Franco, Arian Moayed, Dan Perrault, Andrew Leeds, and Tim Baltz.<sup>[1](https://press.wbd.com/us/media-release/hbo-max-orders-new-comedy-series-people-v-gorilla-grodd)</sup>\n\nBehind the camera, Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault, creators of Netflix's true-crime mockumentary *American Vandal*, serve as showrunners, writers, and executive producers, with Yacenda directing all episodes.<sup>[1](https://press.wbd.com/us/media-release/hbo-max-orders-new-comedy-series-people-v-gorilla-grodd)</sup> [James Gunn](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-gunn) and [Peter Safran](https://www.edgepedia.org/peter-safran), DC Studios' Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs, also executive produce.<sup>[1](https://press.wbd.com/us/media-release/hbo-max-orders-new-comedy-series-people-v-gorilla-grodd)</sup>\n\n## Production\n\nHBO Max gave the project an eight-episode, straight-to-series order announced on August 21, 2026.<sup>[1](https://press.wbd.com/us/media-release/hbo-max-orders-new-comedy-series-people-v-gorilla-grodd)</sup> Filming began in Atlanta, Georgia, in early September 2026, less than three weeks after the greenlight, with the Georgia Institute of Technology campus dressed as Metropolis University, complete with blue-and-purple banners.<sup>[6](https://readdork.com/film/people-v-gorilla-grodd-georgia-tech-filming-34f4438c)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[7](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/dc-tv-shows/upcoming-dcu-show-the-people-v-gorilla-grodd-has-started-filming-at-a-us-university-just-weeks-after-it-was-announced/)</sup> The Production List entry records the series as in production with a wrap date of October 2026.<sup>[2](https://www.productionlist.com/production/the-people-v-gorilla-grodd)</sup>\n\n**A practical Grodd.** Set photos and videos leaked in September 2026 showed a performer in a practical gorilla suit rather than a digital character: Grodd in a sweater vest and casual attire, in a graduation cap and gown, dancing in a tuxedo, and performing with an a cappella group while serenading a young woman with the [Backstreet Boys](https://www.edgepedia.org/backstreet-boys) song \"As Long as You Love Me.\"<sup>[8](https://tali.news/2026/09/gorilla-grodd-set-videos-georgia-tech/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[9](https://www.techtimes.com/articles/327180/20260910/people-v-gorilla-grodd-starts-filming-false-memories-make-its-format-untrustworthy.htm)</sup> Industry listings state that the practical suit may be enhanced or replaced with CGI in post-production.<sup>[2](https://www.productionlist.com/production/the-people-v-gorilla-grodd)</sup> Skyler Gisondo said in a September 2026 interview that the production would use surprisingly little CGI, and that the show had been one of James Gunn's earliest DCU ideas.<sup>[10](https://theplaylist.net/skyler-gisondo-gorilla-grodd-james-gunn-practical-effects-cgi-20260924/)</sup> The suit's clothing prompted fan speculation that the costumed ape might be a different DC character, since Grodd does not wear clothes in the comics.<sup>[11](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/dc-tv-shows/thanks-to-leaked-photos-dc-fans-think-the-ape-on-set-of-the-people-v-gorilla-grodd-is-a-different-character-altogether/)</sup>\n\n## Place in the DC Universe\n\nThe series is the fourth television show set in the [DC Universe](https://www.edgepedia.org/dc-universe) (DCU) and the first new project not announced in DC Studios' initial slate for the franchise.<sup>[4](https://www.superherohype.com/news/695300-the-people-v-gorilla-grodd-dcu-timeline-man-of-tomorrow)</sup> Its timeline placement was the subject of conflicting statements: Gisondo initially said the series takes place between *Superman* and *Man of Tomorrow*, but Gunn clarified on social media that \"overall in continuity, it's after MoT (and won't come out until then),\" adding that \"it's a true crime series, so it jumps all over the place.\"<sup>[4](https://www.superherohype.com/news/695300-the-people-v-gorilla-grodd-dcu-timeline-man-of-tomorrow)</sup> Because *Man of Tomorrow* releases on July 9, 2027, the series will not premiere before that date.<sup>[4](https://www.superherohype.com/news/695300-the-people-v-gorilla-grodd-dcu-timeline-man-of-tomorrow)</sup>\n\nHBO chief Casey Bloys confirmed in September 2026 that it was the only TV series in active development at DC Studios, telling Deadline: \"you've got [The People v] Gorilla Grodd, which I'm very happy about, [they're] doing something different, and I think it's a really fun idea.\"<sup>[12](https://www.techradar.com/streaming/hbo-max/the-head-of-hbo-just-dropped-a-big-clue-about-lanterns-season-2-and-his-not-right-now-comments-have-worried-me-about-the-popular-dc-comic-book-shows-future)</sup>\n\n## The comic-book character\n\nGorilla Grodd is a long-running [DC Comics](https://www.edgepedia.org/dc-comics) villain: a hyper-intelligent telepathic ape who, per DC's official character profile, evolved past common gorillas after a chance encounter with an alien race and has sought to rule both the simian and human worlds, repeatedly thwarted by the Flash. He first appeared in *The Flash* #106 in 1959, and his listed powers include telepathy, telekinesis, super strength, superhuman agility, intelligence, and combat strategy.<sup>[13](https://www.dc.com/characters/gorilla-grodd)</sup> The series marks Grodd's second live-action TV outing, after his run as a recurring foe on [The CW](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-cw)'s *The Flash*, where he was voiced by David Sobolov.<sup>[14](https://www.supermanhomepage.com/news/2026-news/2026-news-tv.php?topic=2026-news-tv%2F0909)</sup>\n\n## References\n\n1. [HBO Max Orders New Comedy Series THE PEOPLE V. GORILLA GRODD, Warner Bros. Discovery Pressroom](https://press.wbd.com/us/media-release/hbo-max-orders-new-comedy-series-people-v-gorilla-grodd)\n2. [The People v. Gorilla Grodd, Production List, Film & Television Industry Alliance](https://www.productionlist.com/production/the-people-v-gorilla-grodd)\n3. [The People v Gorilla Grodd: confirmed cast, plot details, and what else we know so far, TechRadar](https://www.techradar.com/streaming/hbo-max/the-people-v-gorilla-grodd-hub)\n4. [The People v. Gorilla Grodd's DCU Timeline Placement Revealed, James Gunn Gives Release Date Update, SuperHeroHype](https://www.superherohype.com/news/695300-the-people-v-gorilla-grodd-dcu-timeline-man-of-tomorrow)\n5. [James Gunn isn't sure why his weirdest upcoming DCU project is being compared to She-Hulk and Invincible, GamesRadar+](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/dc-tv-shows/james-gunn-isnt-sure-why-his-weirdest-upcoming-dcu-project-is-being-compared-to-she-hulk-and-invincible/)\n6. ['The People v. Gorilla Grodd' reportedly films at Georgia Tech, Dork](https://readdork.com/film/people-v-gorilla-grodd-georgia-tech-filming-34f4438c)\n7. [Upcoming DCU show The People v. Gorilla Grodd has started filming at a US university just weeks after it was announced, GamesRadar+](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/dc-tv-shows/upcoming-dcu-show-the-people-v-gorilla-grodd-has-started-filming-at-a-us-university-just-weeks-after-it-was-announced/)\n8. [Set videos from The People v. Gorilla Grodd show the DC villain singing Backstreet Boys, TALi News](https://tali.news/2026/09/gorilla-grodd-set-videos-georgia-tech/)\n9. [The People v. Gorilla Grodd Starts Filming: False Memories Make Its Format Untrustworthy, TechTimes](https://www.techtimes.com/articles/327180/20260910/people-v-gorilla-grodd-starts-filming-false-memories-make-its-format-untrustworthy.htm)\n10. [Skyler Gisondo Says 'Gorilla Grodd' Was One Of James Gunn's Earliest DCU Ideas & Will Use Surprisingly Little CGI, The Playlist](https://theplaylist.net/skyler-gisondo-gorilla-grodd-james-gunn-practical-effects-cgi-20260924/)\n11. [Thanks to leaked photos, DC fans think the ape on set of The People v. Gorilla Grodd is a different character altogether, GamesRadar+](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/dc-tv-shows/thanks-to-leaked-photos-dc-fans-think-the-ape-on-set-of-the-people-v-gorilla-grodd-is-a-different-character-altogether/)\n12. [The head of HBO just dropped a big clue about Lanterns season 2, TechRadar](https://www.techradar.com/streaming/hbo-max/the-head-of-hbo-just-dropped-a-big-clue-about-lanterns-season-2-and-his-not-right-now-comments-have-worried-me-about-the-popular-dc-comic-book-shows-future)\n13. [Gorilla Grodd, Official DC Character, DC.com](https://www.dc.com/characters/gorilla-grodd)\n14. [Superman Homepage news, September 9, 2026](https://www.supermanhomepage.com/news/2026-news/2026-news-tv.php?topic=2026-news-tv%2F0909)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Scripted television and comedy series › Sitcom and comedy series › Mockumentary comedy series*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n",
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 "credit": "\"The People v. Gorilla Grodd\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/the-people-v-gorilla-grodd. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.",
 "credit_md": "\"[The People v. Gorilla Grodd](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-people-v-gorilla-grodd)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/the-people-v-gorilla-grodd](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-people-v-gorilla-grodd). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).",
 "credit_html": "\"<a href=\"https://www.edgepedia.org/the-people-v-gorilla-grodd\">The People v. Gorilla Grodd</a>\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), <a href=\"https://www.edgepedia.org/the-people-v-gorilla-grodd\">https://www.edgepedia.org/the-people-v-gorilla-grodd</a>. <a href=\"https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\">Edgepedia Community License 1.0</a>.",
 "speakable": "The People v. Gorilla Grodd is an upcoming eight-episode HBO Max true-crime mockumentary comedy from DC Studios and Warner Bros."
}