Posted in: HBO, Movies, TV | Tagged: james gunn, lanterns

Lanterns: James Gunn Discusses "Beautiful, Beautiful" HBO Series

James Gunn shared some thoughts on what to expect from DC Studios' Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler-starring Green Lantern series, Lanterns.

With DC Studios co-CEO and writer/director James Gunn making the rounds in support of Superman, we've been getting some new insights into one project, in particular, that we're excited to see hit HBO screens. As production on Chris Mundy (True Detective: Night Country), Damon Lindelof (Watchmen), and Tom King's (Supergirl) Aaron Pierre (John Stewart) and Kyle Chandler (Hal Jordan)-starring Green Lantern series, Lanterns rolls on, DC Studios Showcase Official Podcast hosts Frankey Smith and Tyler Coates, with comic correspondent Coy Jandreau, had a chance to pick Gunn's brain when it comes to the upcoming series (which is now more than halfway finished with filming).

"It's a very grounded, real show. I mean, it's taking this outlandish concept of space cops with magic rings and putting it in as close to reality as it can possibly be," Gunn shared when asked to what the tone of the HBO series will be. From there, Gunn praises the Lanterns team and how it's been "pretty smooth sailing" production-wise. "Kyle [Chandler] is incredible in the role. We were really lucky. Damon Lindelof was one of the very first people I met with. I'm a big fan of his stuff. And I love Chris Mundy from 'Ozark.' And so that was kind of a dream team of those three people coming together along with the folks at HBO. And it's kind of just been pretty smooth sailing the whole way. It's a beautiful, beautiful series; eight episodes,' he added.

Pierre's turn in Netflix's Rebel Ridge was discussed, with Jandreau noting that it felt like an unofficial audition for John Stewart. Gunn noted that Pierre was "at the top of my list" for Lanterns and that he "was almost Adam Warlock" over in the MCU. But as great as actors may be individually, Gunn shared that the two having on-screen chemistry together was "totally essential," adding that "we had them read together to make sure." The writer/director explained how that came into play when it came to casting David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane for Superman. "I have worked with actors in the past who are great individually, and then you get them together, and you're like [makes face]… just that spark doesn't seem to be there. They could even be getting together off-screen. I don't know. But it doesn't seem like it's there on screen. Sometimes they hate each other off-screen, but it's there on-screen," Gunn said.

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.

Along with Pierre, Chandler, and Fillion, 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), and Paul Ben-Victor (Nobody Wants This). 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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