‘The Penguin’ Director Craig Zobel Inks First-Look Deal With HBO

EXCLUSIVE: Film and television writer, director, and producer Craig Zobel is staying in the HBO fold with a multi-year first-look deal. He has been at the premium network for the past five years under two back-to-back overall deals.

Zobel most recently served as lead director (episodes 1-3) and executive producer of HBO’s limited series The Penguin starring Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti. The eight-episode series, from Warner Bros. Television and DC Studios, is a continuation of Matt Reeves’ The Batman.

Its premiere episode drew 5.3 million viewers over its debut weekend, a number that is now nearing 18M viewers in the US. The series’ viewership grew throughout its run, with the finale up more than 50% from the series’ debut night audience.

Zobel previously directed and executive produced the entirety of Mare of Easttown (2021), which won four Emmy Awards, and earned Zobel Directing Emmy and DGA nominations. He was also the sole director and showrunner of the CBS All Access miniseries, One Dollar (2018). Episodic directing credits include HBO’s The Leftovers and Westworld, and Starz’s American Gods. Zobel, whose film credits include The Hunt (2020). He is repped by CAA, Entertainment 360, and Jackoway Tyerman Wertheimer.