HBO’s Green Lantern series has unveiled the first look at the titular intergalactic cops, and they look straight out of True Detective. Lanterns stars Aaron Pierre as John Stewart and Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan, two of the most iconic members of the Green Lantern Corps from the source material. The upcoming DCU series, which has been described as a boots-on-the-ground story about an alien conspiracy, is now in production. If the general vibe HBO is going for is indeed a gritty prestige drama, it’s safe to say they nailed it so far.
HBO and Max released the first official image from the production of Lanterns, which is currently underway. And while the Green Lantern duo are not in their superhero outfits, both John Stewart and Hal Jordan seem to be sporting their power rings. While Pierre looks young and spry as John, Chandler perfectly embodies the veteran appearance of Hal. Interestingly enough, the latter seems to be almost half-retired, and while plot details are scarce, it would not be shocking to learn that Hal has been pulled out of retirement to work with the rookie space cop. Check it out below.

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In addition to Pierre and Chandler, the cast of Lanterns includes Ulrich Thomsen (The Blacklist) as Sinestro, Kelly Macdonald (Trainspotting), Garret Dillahunt (Raising Hope), and Poorna Jagannathan (The Night Of). Behind the scenes, Chris Mundy (Ozark) serves as the showrunner and co-wrote the scripts alongside Watchmen’s Damon Lindelof and DC Comics writer Tom King. Slow Horses director James Hawes is currently helming the first two episodes of the HBO superhero series.
‘Lanterns’ Is a ‘True Detective’-Style Story, But Don’t Forget the Sci-Fi

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Despite constant comparisons to True Detective, fans should still expect Lanterns to be a straight-up sci-fi story set in the DC Universe. One of the show’s stars, Poorna Jagannathan, no stranger to prestigious television, described the Green Lantern series as “the best writing” that she has ever read. Even as someone not overtly familiar with the genre, the actress claimed it was an “accessible” sci-fi story that felt easy to understand.

“This is the first script that I’ve read that I understand why there’s an NDA [non-disclosure agreement]. Everything is so insane. It is the best writing that I have ever read. I don’t know anything about sci-fi, and I don’t care actually. But this script makes sci-fi seem like my world. It makes it so accessible to me. I understand everything about this world even though I don’t understand this world. So, it’s the best sci-fi script I’ve ever read. We start Tuesday [Jan. 28]. We start camera testing Tuesday.”

Lanterns is currently eyeing an early 2026 HBO premiere date, and looks to finish production later this year. It’s unclear how exactly it will connect to the grander DC Universe, but it has been teased since its inception that its central mystery will have major implications in the DCU moving forward. Since Green Lanterns largely concern themselves with intergalactic threats, the same will seemingly be true in the HBO series.
Source: HBO/Max

Lanterns (DCU)

Network

HBO

Directors

James Hawes

Writers

Tom King, Chris Munday

Franchise(s)

DC Universe