Jack Bannon has been cast as Alfred Pennyworth for the “Pennyworth” prequel television series.
Bannon is most well-known by film-goers for his role in the World War II epic The Intimidation Game.
Alfred Begins
Here is the show’s official description:
The 10-episode, one-hour drama series is based on DC characters created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger. It follows Bruce Wayne’s legendary butler, Alfred Pennyworth, a former British SAS soldier in his 20s, who forms a security company and goes to work with a young billionaire Thomas Wayne, who’s not yet Bruce’s father, in 1960s London.
Furthermore, the show released an official description of Alfred himself. As you can see, the focus is on Alfred post-World War II, but probably not quite a butler yet.
Alfred Pennyworth is a boyishly handsome, cheerful, charming, clever young man from London. Honest, open-faced and witty; you’d never take him for an SAS killer. Alfred doesn’t know how to reconcile the kind-hearted boy he used to be with the cold, calculated killer he was forced to become. He’s a man on the make, who doesn’t know what to make of himself yet.
Gotham‘s Bruno Heller will serve as showrunner. Additionally, Gotham‘s Danny Cannon will be the series executive producer and will direct the pilot. Despite all of this, the Alfred prequel is unrelated to Gotham. Which is fine, because if it were, that would make it a double prequel otherwise.
Production for the Alfred-prequel is scheduled to begin October 10. The show will be on Epix.