Fox’s long-awaited DC Comics series, Gotham, is finally hitting the network next month, and to give fans a little bit of an idea about what they can expect, the show released an extended preview of the series called “Gotham: The Legend Reborn.” Clocking in at 21 minutes, the preview is chock full of actors and crew members talking about the great experience shooting Gotham has been. If you don’t have a half hour to spare right now, we’ve outlined the five most important ideas discussed in the Hulu video.
Gotham was created out of a dream to look at another side of the D.C. Comics mythology. Creator Bruno Heller and co. got to talking about the possibilities in the universe and settled on the fact that it would be interesting to look at a city like Gotham and determine why that city might eventually call upon the services of a vigilante. Says Heller, “The idea for this show came from trying to find a fresh way into the D.C. mythology. It seemed the perfect place to start was the city of Gotham. “
We like to think of Detective James Gordon as a Gotham original, but at the start of Fox’s series, that won’t be the case. According to actor Ben McKenzie, who plays Gordon on the upcoming series, James has spent a lengthy tenure in the military at the start of the series, and he’s not caught up in the Gotham world, at all.
“When we start the series, James is, more or less, straight out of the military. [He] has not been in Gotham in a decade or more. He left when he was a kid. He’s a little bit of a fish out of the water. He doesn’t know exactly what’s going on in Gotham and he’s figuring it out.”
Early on, we will see the murder of Bruce Wayne’s parents. There isn’t a ton of actual footage from the series available in the preview. We do get scenes with a few of the villains and the rival police department, but obviously the most compelling scene we can see in the preview is the shooting of young Bruce’s parents and the subsequent connection Gordon is able to build with Wayne. Additionally, the death of the Waynes will open up doors for crime and corruption in Gotham city.
Gotham is shot in New York and it is like New York, but the crew went to lengthy details to make certain it’s a very different city. The Gotham crew rented a helicopter to get exterior shots of New York City, so in many ways the city that appears onscreen should seem very familiar. However, the visual effects people have added buildings, spires, statues and more in the foregrounds of shots to make certain that Gotham is not New York.
The Gotham universe has enabled the writers to explore more characters in the city. Donal Logue’s Detective Harvey Bullock's personality is vibrant and a big part of the new series. While Gordon seems to be upstanding, Bullock is worried most about his own skin, telling the newbie, “This is very perilous stuff you are messing with.” Additionally, there is room for new villains, including the tough-as-nails Fish Mooney and old villains, like Oswald Cobblepot (a.k.a. The Penguin) might be more likeable than we might expect.
As McKenzie notes in the preview, “From episode to episode we’ll be introducing characters that are, sort of, legends in this universe, so you really have to tune in each week to watch who’s gonna show up next. “ If Gotham is a series that interests you, you’ll be able to catch new episodes on Fox, beginning on Monday, September 22 at 8 p.m. ET.
