Posted in: HBO, Movies, Preview, TV | Tagged: dc studios, dcu, green lantern, HBO, lanterns, Tom King
Lanterns: Tom King "Finally Can Talk About" Green Lantern Series
Now that the news is out, HBO's Lanterns Writer/EP Tom King took to social media to finally discuss the upcoming Green Lantern series.
Earlier today, some great news came down about one series in particular from DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran's New DCU that we've been excited about since it was first announced back in January 2023. DC Studios' Green Lantern series Lanterns was given an eight-episode direct-to-series order, with Chris Mundy (True Detective: Night Country, Ozark) serving as showrunner and executive producer. In addition, Damon Lindelof (Watchmen, The Leftovers) and Tom King (Mister Miracle, Supergirl) will serve as executive producers and co-writers alongside Mundy. The series is set to follow new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan, two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland. Not long after the news broke, King took to social media to discuss the project in-depth publicly for the first time.
"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, 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."