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

Lanterns Team Has "A Lot of Great Ideas" Regarding John, Hal Casting

DC Studios' James Gunn shared that Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King "have a lot of great ideas" when it comes to casting Lanterns.

After things were understandably quiet for a while, the news machine for DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran's upcoming New DCU eight-episode "Green Lantern" series, Lanterns. First, we learned that Chris Mundy (True Detective: Night Country, Ozark) will be serving as showrunner and executive producer. Along with that news, we also learned that Damon Lindelof (Watchmen, The Leftovers) and Tom King (Mister Miracle, Supergirl) would be serving as executive producers and co-writers alongside Mundy. Following that, we learned that the series (along with The Penguin, Dune: Prophecy, and others) would be moving from Max to HBO – with Warner Bros. Discovery wanting their big-time tentpole shows to have the HBO brand attached to them. With filming on Superman having officially wrapped in Cleveland, Gunn took some time to answer some questions/comments on social media – with one individual wondering if Gunn and the team already have an actor in mind for new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan – the two intergalactic cops who get drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.

"I've discussed with Chris [Mundy] and Tom [King] and Damon [Lindelof], and they have a lot of great ideas," Gunn shared – meaning that there are definitely some names being thrown around, but those have been part of Gunn's discussions with the show's creative team. Here's a screencap of Gunn's response to the casting questions regarding HBO's Lanterns:

"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 earlier this week, 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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