HBO‘s Lanterns has started production and released a first look at its two stars in character — though not in Green Lantern Corps regalia.
The first photo of stars Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler shows the two in regular clothing walking down an empty road. That’s in keeping with the description of the show, based on the long-running DC Comics characters, as following “new recruit John Stewart (Pierre) and Lantern legend Hal Jordan (Chandler), two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, Earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.” The show, from creators Chris Mundy, Tom King and Damon Lindelof, has also been described as having a True Detective vibe.
There is one hint in the first photo that Pierre and Chandler are part of a superhero story — the Green Lantern Corps ring on Hal Jordan’s finger.
“From the start, our driving force has been to deliver a layered drama — rooted in nuanced storytelling and rich world building — that balances tension and mystery with honest, authentic emotion,” said Mundy. “The goal is to create something that feels timeless and grounded without sacrificing the magic of the source material.”
The Lanterns cast also features Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan and Ulrich Thomsen.
Warner Bros. Television and DC Studios are producing Lanterns. Mundy (Ozark) is the showrunner for the series and co-wrote the eight-episode season with Eisner Award winner King and Lindelof (Watchmen, Lost). James Hawes is directing the first two episodes; all four are executive producing along with DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran and Ron Schmidt. Stephen Williams (Watchmen), Geeta Vasant Patel (House of the Dragon) and Alik Sakharov (Ozark) will also direct.
