The People v. Gorilla Grodd: DC’s Boldest Title Yet and What the 2027 Series Is About

DC Studios just did something no DCU show has done before: it named a series after a villain. HBO Max's Superman spinoff, arriving in 2027, is officially called The People…

By Reetam Bodhak

October 11, 2026

2 min read

Comments

DC Studios just did something no DCU show has done before: it named a series after a villain. HBO Max’s Superman spinoff, arriving in 2027, is officially called The People v. Gorilla Grodd, and the story behind that title is almost as fun as the show.

A Title Journey Worth Following

Reports of a Jimmy Olsen series first surfaced in November 2025 under the working title DC Crime. In June 2026, a Writers Guild registry listing seemed to reveal American Villain. Neither stuck. HBO Max ordered the show on August 21 under its final name, a playful riff on courtroom dramas like The People v. O. J. Simpson.

It’s also the first DCU show that doesn’t begin with a hero’s name or nickname. James Gunn calls it both a Jimmy Olsen and a Gorilla Grodd show, and says it was one of the first ideas he and Peter Safran pitched, alongside Lanterns.

DC: Show Snapshot

Detail	Info
Title	The People v. Gorilla Grodd
Platform	HBO Max
Release	2027
Format	8-episode comedy, mockumentary style
Showrunners	Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault (American Vandal)
Premise	Jimmy Olsen and the Daily Planet team reopen Grodd’s conviction for murdering his father, the king of Gorilla City

Why This One Feels Different?

True-crime parody is a smart fit for the American Vandal duo. The series asks a simple, funny question: is Grodd actually guilty? It’s a fresh way to bring a classic Superman villain to the screen, and it keeps the DCU’s tone varied.

DC Shows Still Waiting for a Name

Not every project has been so lucky. Here’s where the rest stand:

Project	Status
Booster Gold	In development, being retooled under a new creative team after the original creator’s version stalled
Animated Blue Beetle	Unconfirmed, with doubts after HBO Max moved away from kids’ content
Mister Terrific	In development with Allan Heinberg writing the pilot, but no platform or order yet
Secret Gunn series	Premise and lead completely under wraps

The Mister Terrific show could be interesting, as rumors suggest Edi Gathegi’s hero might appear in Grodd’s series first.

What It Means for Fans?

DC is clearly leaning into a bigger Superman family of stories, and comedy is part of the mix. If you like keeping up with superhero shows, explore more entertainment news on Technosports and browse our latest DC and streaming updates. For background on the villain himself, read Gorilla Grodd on Wikipedia.