Posted in: HBO, Max, Movies, TV | Tagged: dc studios, dcu, green lantern, james gunn, lanterns

Has Damon Lindelof Been Secretly Promoting Lanterns for 20 Years?

James Gunn and Lanterns' Damon Lindelof had a little fun with the idea that Lindelof has been promoting the series for the past twenty years.

While we await whatever big news might be coming our way from Chris Mundy (True Detective: Night Country, Ozark), Damon Lindelof (Watchmen, The Leftovers), and Tom King's (Mister Miracle, Supergirl) upcoming New DCU eight-episode "Green Lantern" series, Lanterns, let's take a moment to pause and appreciate an interesting instance of "geek foreshadowing." With this past weekend seeing San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) 2024 unleashed, Lindelof shared an image from twenty years ago when he was there with the team from LOST to promote the then-new series and screen the pilot. Guess what Lindelof was sporting? Yup, a Green Lantern t-shirt – a fun coincidence that wasn't lost on either Lindelof or DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn , who saw it as a form of series long-term stealth marketing.

"The Con, twenty years ago. First screening of the LOST pilot. First time on the stage, not in the crowd. First time someone asked me to sign something that wasn't a credit card receipt. Thanks for this photo, [Eric Goldman]… and thanks DC and [James Gunn] for giving me the keys to the Time Machine so I could get my past self to promote a future show," Lindelof wrote as the caption to his Instagram post, which also included the look back to SDCC 2004:

And here's a look at Gunn respecting Lindelof's marketing "long game" for the upcoming DC Studios series:

"Finally can talk about what I've been working on for the past year and more. From DC Studios and Warner Bros, we're bringing 'Lanterns' to HBO," King began his Instagram post from June, addressing the news much more openly than he could previously – even after Gunn confirmed that he would be working on the series. "Chris, Damon, and I created it; Chris is writing and running it while Damon and I write and executive produce. I like to think of it as from the creators of 'Ozark,' HBO's 'Watchmen,' and, of course, Batman meets Elmer Fudd."

He continued, "We're working with a dream team writer's room, putting together something thrilling and epic and intimate and grounded and funny and true—a superhero show that brings together the glories of the comics with the excellence of an HBO prestige drama. It's such an honor to work on these characters, to build on what titans John Broome, Gil Kane, Denny O'Neil, and my old pal (and Batman/Fudd fan), Neal Adams created. We're endlessly inspired by and grateful for the creativity of so many Lantern comic creators from 1940 to this Wednesday." Before closing, King added a personal perspective to the news: "On a personal level, my late mother was a Warner exec: being back on her lot, building something cool that she'd love—it feels real special."

"We are elated to be reuniting with both Chris Mundy and Damon Lindelof as they partner with Tom for this fresh take on DC's 'Green Lantern,'" shared Casey Bloys, chairman/CEO of HBO and Max Content. "As part of James and Peter's vision for the DC Universe, this first new live-action series will mark an exciting new era." Gunn and Safran added in a joint statement, "We're thrilled to bring this seminal DC title to HBO with Chris, Damon and Tom at the helm. John Stewart and Hal Jordan are two of DC's most compelling characters, and 'Lanterns' brings them to life in an original detective story that is a foundational part of the unified DCU we're launching next summer with "Superman.'"

When the series was first announced, Safran noted that the series would play a major role in their New DCU. Comparing it to "a huge HBO-quality event" along the lines of "True Detective," the "Green Lantern" series is set to focus on Hal Jordan and John Stewart – who investigate a mystery that Safran said during the initial rollout "plays a really big role leading us into the main story that we're telling across our film and television. So this is a very important show for us."

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