Lanterns

Lanterns
Release dates	Unknown
Network	HBO
Seasons	1
Episodes	8
Showrunner	TBA

Lanterns is an upcoming American superhero science fiction drama based on the DC Comics characters and group of the same name.

It will premiere on Max.

Synopsis

The terrestrial-based show will focus on two of the best-known members of the Green Lantern corps: Hal Jordan and John Stewart, who investigate a mystery that plays a really big role in leading into the main story of Chapter One, Gods and Monsters.

Production

On October 30, 2019, HBO Max announced that their new streaming service would feature several HBO Max originals. Among them was a Green Lantern Series. It was described as, "A Green Lantern inspired series from Berlanti Productions that will finally introduce characters from this iconic comic in Berlanti's biggest series yet."

On October 9, 2020, HBO Max greenlit the series for ten one-hour episodes. It will be written and executive produced by Seth Grahame-Smith and Marc Guggenheim, with Seth serving as the showrunner. Berlanti productions will produce in association with Warner Bros.

On October 20, 2021, Seth Grahame-Smith stated, "It has taken quite a bit of time to get to this point and it's just a big, big undertaking. It's going really well. All I can say is that it's going really well and there are gonna be Green Lanterns in it, and it's gonna be on HBO Max.".

The series was one of the most expensive DC shows ever made, with multiple stories across time - following Alan Scott (1930s/1940s), Guy Gardner (modern day), and Sojourner Mullein (future). Finn Wittrock and Jeremy Irvine were tapped to play the iconic heroes.

On October 26, 2022, it was revealed that Grahame-Smith had departed the drama after completing scripts for eight episodes that were to focus on Guy Gardner and Alan Scott.

Moreover, the show’s budget going forward was expected to be significantly less since HBO Max, under David Zaslav’s combined Warner Bros. Discovery, is focusing on right-sizing its various assets. In addition, instead of focusing on the likes of Guy Gardner and Alan Scott, the drama, which has been in the works since late 2019, would focus on John Stewart, one of DC’s first Black superheroes.

On January 31, 2023, it was announced that the concept of Green Lantern was scrapped altogether and replaced with James Gunn and Peter Safran's Lanterns. It would serve as a foundational show for James Gunn and Peter Safran, the newly installed heads of DC Studios. Safran confirmed that, "Greg's vision was more of a space opera that he wanted to do. Our version is more True Detective, more of a terrestrial-based investigation story. We all agreed to part ways."

On June 25, 2024, the series was officially titled Lanterns and moved from Max (formerly HBO Max) to an HBO originally series. HBO ordered an eight-part series, with Chris Mundy as showrunner. The actors in the series would also portray the roles in future theatrical appearances.

Lanterns moved into production on September 18, 2024, with Justin Britt-Gibson, Tom King, Damon Lindelof, and Chris Mundy as writers. Nathan Fillion was credited as an actor.

On October 9, 2024, Aaron Pierre was cast as John Stewart.

Trivia

• Greg Berlanti announced a Green Lantern television series on October 29th, 2019 at the HBO Max WarnerMedia Day presentation alongside fellow DC show Strange Adventures.
  • He promised what could be "the biggest DC show ever made".
  • The main setting will be outer space.
• On January 15th, 2020, HBO Max Head of Original Content Sarah Aubrey said of the project, "It’s going to span several decades on focus on two stories about Green Lanterns on Earth” as well as one in space “going into the Sinestro story.”
• On October 9th, 2020, Green Lantern was officially announced in a 10 hour-long episode series order.
  • Seth Grahame-Smith was announced as the showrunner, and will co-write the series alongside Arrow co-developer Marc Guggenheim.
  • The plot of the series was revealed, stating "The drama will depict the adventures of a multitude of Lanterns, including Guy Gardner, Jessica Cruz, Simon Baz and Alan Scott — Earth’s first Green Lantern, who, true to the comics, is a gay man — and many more. The series will also include fan favorites such as Sinestro and Kilowog, and will also introduce new heroes to the ranks of the Green Lantern Corps."
• On November 1st, 2020, further details revealed include multiple time periods such as the 1940s, the 1980s and the modern day, as well as a previously-announced leak that a new half-human, half-alien character will be introduced.
• On February 17, 2021 it was announced that production for the series is scheduled to start filming on April 12, 2021.
• Of the previous Green Lantern incarnation, only Berlanti and his Warner Bros. TV-based Berlanti Productions remain attached. (Fellow exec producer Marc Guggenheim, who originally was poised to co-write the pilot alongside Grahame-Smith, had not recently been involved with the show ahead of its retooling.
  • As for Finn Wittrock and Jeremy Irvine, neither remains signed on to the Green Lantern series. Sources indicate that Berlanti Productions is eager to work with both actors when and if the project, which currently has a script-to-series commitment, moves forward. In spring 2021, when Wittrock and Irvine were cast, the show was still being fast-tracked and was to begin shooting that same year. However, the project is now on a slower, more HBO-like development track under Bloys and Warner Bros. TV topper Channing Dungey. A new logline for the series has not yet been determined as the project is back to being in early development.