Posted in: HBO, Max, Movies, TV | Tagged: lanterns

Lanterns: Balancing New Viewers, Diehard Fans Was "Fun," "Challenging"

Showrunner/EP Chris Mundy explained what was "fun" and "challenging" about tackling Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler-starring Lanterns.

When DC Studios' James Gunn and Peter Safran were rolling out their first wave of DCU films and series, they made it a point of emphasizing that Chris Mundy (True Detective: Night Country), Damon Lindelof (Watchmen), and Tom King's (Supergirl) Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler-starring Lanterns would be taking a very real approach to what is otherwise a very interstellat franchise – likening it to True Detective. So, when the official teaser was released, we liked what we saw because it really did vibe in a way that was similar to the hit HBO series. We were expecting something that would offer minimal effects and a strong focus on the characters and story, and that's exactly what we got. But some folks weren't too thrilled that they didn't get to see a whole lot of action – and a whole lot of Green Lantern power on display. With the series officially set to premiere on August 16th, Mundy  discussed how Lanterns is looking to offer something for both new viewers and diehard Green Lantern fans.

"It was less challenging than it was just exciting. Our take was that we have this incredibly rich mythology within the Green Lantern canon, and we have this incredibly rich history of Sunday night HBO shows—everything from 'The Sopranos' to 'Game of Thrones' and in between," Mundy shared during an interview with ComicBook. "The fun of it was to try to create a real, layered drama that dealt with who these characters are as human beings while still staying true to the spirit of what makes the comics so special. We wanted it to be accessible for anyone who doesn't know the canon but, at the same time, satisfying for people who know the lore in minute detail. So, yes, it was challenging, but only in the way that the most fun things are."

Here's a look back at the motion poster for DC Studios and HBO Max's Lanterns that was previously released, followed by some previous insights on the live-action DCU series:

Tom King on Kyle Chandler's Hal Jordan & Aaron Pierre's John Stewart

During an episode of Word Balloon, King offered insights into why Chandler and Pierre are perfect for the series and what each brings to the table. "Oh god, Kyle is so good," King shared in the episode above (beginning at around the 1:07:50 mark). "When he showed up and just… he got it. Just like the first day, you were like, 'Oh!'" King went on to explain that he wasn't sure what to expect based on Chandler's previous work and how King envisioned Hal Jordan. "You know, Kyle's got kind of a southern vibe, and I always think of Hal as kind of a California guy – being a California guy myself."

But it didn't take long for Chandler to win him over with his take on the ring-slinging hero, with King sharing, "he [Chandler] fit it so perfectly, that kind of that that combination of arrogance and yet like a grounded arrogance, that's how Jordan is." King compared his vision of Hal Jordan as someone who's "got that sort of Captain Kirk in him. He's got that fearlessness. He asks if God needs a starship. Like, that's who Hal Jordan is. It's no fear, you know? It's 'no fear, all sky," [which] was what I put in my book. And Kyle just immediately got it and occupied that and had that kind of cockiness, but like an everyday cocky; that kind of Harrison Ford cockiness, you know, like that movie star, that is just perfect."

"Aaron Pierre is just, you know, he's a rocket ship. He's launching. He's the next… You know, he's going to be on every billboard in our lives [for the] next 20 years. He's a huge movie star. He's in the he's in the new 'Star Wars' movie, if people don't know. And he's just… he is John Stewart," King added about Pierre. "When I first time I met him, I was like, 'Oh my god, you're a superhero.' When you look him in the face, you're like, 'That is a superhero. I'm meeting a superhero in person.' That's what it's like to meet him – and the nicest guy in the world. Both of them are just very down-to-earth and had no airs at all, even though they're huge stars, and treated this little nerdy comic book person with such kindness. I was very grateful." Make sure to check out the entire episode above, with King also discussing what it was like working with television heavy-hitters Mundy and Lindelof and what he learned from the experience.

Lanterns: Hawes on "True Detective" Talk, Aaron Pierre & DC Studios

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter in support of his feature film, The Amateur, Hawes addressed the True Detective comparisons, what Pierre brings to the series, and how it's been (so far) working with DC Studios:

Hawes on How "Lanterns" Compares In Tone to "True Detective": "Talking tone, it looks and feels rooted. You meet two guys, but there is wit and comedy to it that you would not expect in 'True Detective.' It is, in many ways, a buddy cop structure with travel in the story time, to and fro, that is really sophisticated. Chris Mundy has done the most amazing job with the team there, and so I think [the 'True Detective' comparison] is valid. People will still go, 'What were you talking about?' to some extent, but I would also bring in 'No Country for Old Men,' 'Fargo,' and things that have that Americana heart to them. There's a wry humor, and so there definitely is more wit and humor than there is in 'True Detective.'"

Hawes on Aaron Pierre Having a "Magnificent Presence": "I honestly think he did it totally individually in the room. With some chemistry castings and the like, it just felt like he would inhabit the role. He has such a magnificent presence. He feels so forceful, so cool, so understated. Again, I wanted this world to be rooted, and while there's only so far you can go with rooting characters in a show about Green Lantern, they are. This is a world where we accept that the Green Lanterns exist and aliens exist. So the rest of it is played straight and in the world as we know it."

Hawes on Working with DC Studios: "Well, I can only tell you from my experience, which is that it has been inspiring and supportive and truly thrilling. I will know more in a few months' time, but right now, [Lanterns] just felt like a real burst of creative energy.

The series spotlights new recruit John Stewart (Pierre) and legendary Lantern Hal Jordan (Chandler), two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, Earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland. Along with Pierre and Chandler, the DC Studios series stars Garret Dillahunt (Fear The Walking Dead), Kelly Macdonald (Boardwalk Empire, In the Line of Duty), Poorna Jagannathan (Never Have I Ever, Deli Boys), Ulrich Thomsen (Counterpart, The Blacklist), Nicole Ari Parker (And Just Like That), Jason Ritter (Matlock), J. Alphonse Nicholson (P-Valley), Sherman Augustus (Stranger Things), Jasmine Cephas Jones (Blindspotting), Chris Coy (Bass Reeves), Paul Ben-Victor (Nobody Wants This), and Cary Christopher (Days of Our Lives). In addition, Nathan Fillion will be reprising his Superman role as Green Lantern Guy Gardner for the series. Helming the series are directors James Hawes, Stephen Williams, Geeta Vasant Patel, and Alik Sakharov. Based on the DC Comics Green Lantern, the series is executive produced by Mundy, Lindelof, Gunn, Safran, King, Hawes, and Ron Schmidt.

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