Fans of The Penguin, the captivating DC gangster drama series starring Colin Farrell, are abuzz with excitement about its filming locations. A spin-off of The Batman (2022), it takes viewers deep into the underbelly of Gotham. The series showcases the evolution of Oswald “Oz” Cobb, AKA The Penguin, from a marginalized figure to a prominent gangster.
So, let’s explore the intriguing filming locations that have significantly contributed to the visual narrative of The Penguin.
Where was The Penguin shot to create Gotham?
The Penguin was filmed entirely in New York City, whose diverse locales were used to create the fictional city of Gotham.
The Penguin crew filmed in New York City, capturing exterior shots throughout the city and shooting the interior scenes and soundstage work at Silvercup Studios North in Queens. On the other hand, filming was initially set to occur in Westchester County, New York. However, the 2023 Writers Strike interrupted the schedule as picketers were active in that area. (via Dexerto)
Additionally, a church in Harlem was also occupied by demonstrators, further halting the shoot. Once production resumed, filming shifted to Brooklyn, with additional scenes shot in the Bronx and Whitestone, Queens.
Here is a list of the rest of the filming locations for The Penguin, both interior and exterior ones:
- Riverside Drive in West Harlem (Iceberg Lounge Club)
- 27th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, Diamond District (Gotham Diamond District)
- Williamsburg Bridge tower
- La Selva, Long Island (Falcone mansion)
- United Charities Building, Gramercy Park, Hawksmoor NYC (St. Augustine)
- Hewes Street subway station (Buddy’s Corner Mart)
- Kew Gardens train station (Irving Grove Station)
- Seneca Avenue BMT station (Eve’s apartment)
- Chinatown, South Bronx, Yonkers (Crown Point)
- West Side Highway (Iceberg Lounge Club entrance)
In an interview with TimeOut, the show’s production designer Kalina Ivanov shared that Crown Point is one of the bleakest places in the plot of The Penguin. Here, Gotham forces its most disadvantaged residents to live in awful conditions.
To bring this setting to life, the production crew mixed in various locations like Chinatown, the South Bronx, and Yonkers. Ivanova mentioned, “We wanted to use the real history of New York and make it the architectural language of our show. It was really powerful to be historically accurate.”
The Penguin Season 1 premiered on HBO on September 19, 2024.