Sara Gilbert Joins HBO Max’s ‘Superman’ Spinoff Series

EXCLUSIVE: Sara Gilbert is set to play an “important journalist” opposite Skyler Gisondo’s Jimmy Olsen and Jimmy Tatro’s titular ape in The People v. Gorilla Grodd, HBO Max’s upcoming Superman spinoff series, we hear.

In the half-hour comedy series, a superintelligent ape is convicted of murdering his father, the King of Gorilla City. In an eight-part “true” crime docuseries, the Daily Planet’s Jimmy Olsen reopens the case, investigating whether Gorilla Grodd was wrongly convicted in one of Metropolis’ most famous murder trials.

Glibert joins a cast that includes several Superman actors reprising their roles — Beck Bennett as Steve Lombard, Mikaela Hoover as Cat Grant, and Wendell Pierce as Perry White — as well as new cast additions Mary Holland, Eduardo Franco, Arian Moayed, Dan Perrault, Andrew Leeds, and Tim Baltz.

It’s under wraps as far as which notable journalist in the James Gunn and Peter Safran DC-verse Gilbert will portray. It’s certainly not Lois Lane, as that character is currently played by Emmy winner Rachel Brosnahan, and it’s not Cat Grant. Other notable journos in the DC-verse include Lana Lang played by Annette O’Toole in the feature Superman III; Vesper Fairchild, voiced by Rachel Maddow in the CW Batwoman series, and Gotham’s Vicki Vale played by Kim Basinger in the original 1989 Tim Burton Batman movie.

Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault, creators of the 2017 Netflix true-crime satire series American Vandal, serve as showrunners, writers, and EPs, with Yacenda set to direct all eight episodes. DC Studios’ Co-Chairmen & Co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran also serve as EPs. The People v. Gorilla Grodd is from DC Studios in association with Warner Bros. Television.

Gilbert earned two Emmy noms playing Darlene Conner on the hit ABC series Roseanne, a role she reprised on the series revival The Conners. She serves as EP alongside Michael Showalter on the Sony TV/Amazon series The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh. Gilbert recently wrapped production on the Netflix live-action series Scooby-Doo: Origins opposite McKenna Grace, André 3000, and Paul Walter Hauser. Her list of TV credits also includes The Big Bang Theory, The Comeback, Bad Teacher, Will & Grace and more. Feature credits include 80 for Brady, High Fidelity, Riding in Cars With Boys and Poison Ivy which landed Gilbert a supporting actress Independent Spirit Award nomination. She’s repped by Gersh and Entertainment 360.