HBO has officially ordered a new series titled Lanterns, centered on the iconic DC Comics characters John Stewart and Hal Jordan from the Green Lantern franchise. The eight-episode drama will be helmed by Chris Mundy (Ozark), who will serve as showrunner and co-writer alongside Damon Lindelof (Watchmen, Lost) and Tom King, an Eisner Award-winning writer renowned for his work on Batman, Mister Miracle, and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.
This new development comes nearly five years after HBO Max first began working on a Green Lantern series with producer Greg Berlanti, the creative force behind The CW’s Arrowverse and one of the writers of the 2011 Green Lantern film featuring Ryan Reynolds. Initially, the series was to spotlight Green Lanterns Guy Gardner and Alan Scott, with Seth Grahame-Smith onboard as writer and showrunner. Actors Finn Wittrock and Jeremy Irvine were cast as Gardner and Scott, respectively.
However, a significant creative shift occurred in 2022. Despite having completed a full season’s worth of scripts, Grahame-Smith exited, and the series’ focus shifted to John Stewart, DC Comics’ first Black superhero and a prominent member of the Lantern Corps. This overhaul coincided with, but was not directly caused by, the appointment of James Gunn and Peter Safran as heads of DC Studios, tasked with revitalizing the DC Universe across film and television.
By early 2023, DC Studios decided to shelve Berlanti’s Green Lantern project in favor of Lanterns. “Greg envisioned a space opera,” Safran explained during a press event, “whereas our vision is more akin to True Detective, a grounded investigation story. We mutually agreed to go our separate ways.”
It’s worth noting that Mundy recently worked on HBO’s True Detective: Night Country as an executive producer and writer, and has earned five Emmy nominations for his work on Netflix’s critically acclaimed drama Ozark.
Gunn and Safran expressed their enthusiasm for the new series: “We’re excited to bring this pivotal DC story to HBO with Chris, Damon, and Tom leading the charge. John Stewart and Hal Jordan are two of DC’s most captivating characters, and Lanterns will introduce them in a unique detective narrative that will be integral to the new DCU launching next summer with Superman.”
Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO and Max Content, also shared his excitement: “We are thrilled to reunite with Chris Mundy and Damon Lindelof as they collaborate with Tom King for this innovative take on DC’s Green Lantern. This new live-action series is a key part of James and Peter’s vision for the DC Universe and marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter.”
Lanterns will be produced by Warner Bros. Television and DC Studios, with Mundy, Lindelof, and King serving as executive producers and writers.
