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Green Lantern In Pre-Production This Week; Filming in September?

Published Wed, 10 Aug 2022 10:52:11 -0500

Before all of the real-world drama involving HBO Max and Warner Bros. Discovery, things were sounding promising for Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Seth Grahame-Smith's Green Lantern series. It was May, and a casting call had gone out for the Finn Wittrock & Jeremy Irvine-starring series ahead of what was looking to be a fall start. And then a change in ownership over at Warner Bros. temporarily blew up the plans of a lot of projects- "Green Lantern," included. But then reports hit on Tuesday that the project "remains on track" and that "all involved are taking their time with the effects-heavy show — the priciest series Berlanti Productions has ever mounted — in order to get it right." But just in case you need further confirmation, a production list email from the Film & Television Industry Alliance (FTIA) lists "Greek Lantern" as being in production this week. And following the link, we get to the main page that lists the series kicking off filming this September (listed as September 5th). So that seems to fall in line with what was reported a little more than three months ago- take a look:

Though a "hulking mass of masculinity" and "an embodiment of 1980s hyper-patriotism," Wittrock's Guy Gardner (much like in the comics) still finds a way to be likable even when you don't want to like him. In an interview with EW in late August 2021, Wittrock offered some updates on how production was going, how he studied for the role, and more:

"Green Lantern" Isn't What You're Expecting: "It is really cool how sprawling a storyline it is. It's pretty epic. It spans time and space and has something for everyone. It's not your average superhero story," Wittrock explains. "People will be really, really pleasantly surprised."

Guy Gardner May Be a "Polarizing Figure" But There's A Lot to Love: "He takes on a lot of this show. He's a pretty big part of it. I think it's an interesting way in [to the story]. It's not the conventional way in, but I think people might see a side of him they didn't know was there," Wittrock said.

Yes, Wittrock Watched Ryan Reynolds' 2011 Film: "It [2011 Green Lantern] definitely was something that was in my head. In some ways, it's almost better. I think it offers a chance to reinvent the whole thing and you're not going to have… I mean, no offense to the movie. It is what it is, but you're not going to have people who are dying for the creation of that movie. [The show] can be its own new interpretation," Wittrock explained.

"Green Lantern" Was Made for Streaming: "There's a lot of story there. I think maybe it was just too much to fit into a movie. We have the time and the space, thanks to HBO, to really explore a lot of it on a big scale. I think it's going to be a different animal, to be honest," Wittrock teased.

The 10-episode Green Lantern is set to span decades and galaxies- beginning on Earth in 1941 with the very first Green Lantern, secretly gay FBI agent Alan Scott (Irvine), and in 1984, with cocky alpha male Guy Gardner (Wittrock) and half-alien Bree Jarta. Along the way, they will encounter a number of both new and familiar Lanterns: Jessica Cruz, Simon Baz, Sinestro, and Kilowog are also expected to appear. Lee Toland Krieger (Riverdale, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and Superman & Lois) is set to helm the first two episodes. Berlanti, Guggenheim, and Grahame-Smith will executive produce alongside Geoff Johns, Sarah Schechter, David Madden, and David Katzenberg– with Elizabeth Hunter and Sara Saedi co-executive producing.

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