Epix has given a series order to “Pennyworth,” a Batman prequel focusing on the early life of Bruce Wayne’s butler and surrogate father Alfred Pennyworth.


Hailing from Warner Horizon Scripted Television and “Gotham” executive producers Bruno Heller and Danny Cannon, “Pennyworth” will tell the story of the title character’s time as a former special-forces officer living in London and working for Bruce Wayne’s father, Thomas Wayne. The series will not be directly related to “Gotham,” on which Pennyworth is played by Sean Pertwee, but will give a new take on the character.


Said Michael Wright, President, Epix, “As genuine fans of these classic DC characters, as well as the incredibly talented Bruno Heller and Danny Cannon, we couldn’t be more excited to make Epix the home of this series. We can’t wait to work with Bruno and Danny – along with Peter Roth, Susan Rovner, Brett Paul and the team at Warner Horizon – on this fantastic origin story.”


Heller and Cannon said, “Michael and his colleagues have created the perfect venue for original storytelling, and all of us working on ‘Pennyworth’ are thrilled to be on the Epix slate.”


“Gotham” is set to end its run on Fox with a 13-episode final season in 2018-19.