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

Lanterns "Was a Very Long Shoot"; Pierre "Beyond Excited" About Series

Lanterns star Aaron Pierre on Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King's series treating the Green Lantern universe with "utmost respect."

While we await our first extended look at Chris Mundy (True Detective: Night Country), Damon Lindelof (Watchmen), and Tom King's (Supergirl) Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler-starring Lanterns, Pierre discussed the DC Studios series and the team's respectful efforts to do right by the fans during an interview with PEOPLE for its "Sexiest Man Alive 2025" event. Pierre has been doing a great job hyping up the series and expressing the team's excitement for fans to see the end result, but this interview really drove it home.

"I am beyond excited about 'Lanterns.' HBO, DC [Studios], everybody involved, poured themselves into [it]. Entirely. Everybody began that journey with the utmost respect for the history of the characters, the legacy of everything that is. So that was a really nice way to enter that space, knowing that everybody was entirely invested," Pierre shared. "And it was a long shoot. It was a very long shoot. But I would do it again and again, an infinite amount of times, because everybody just got so close, and everybody really cared. And to be in environments where people care is all you can ask for."

Pierre continued, "So, we're really proud of it, and we're really energized about sharing it with the world, with people who are already supporters and fans, and also with people who are not yet aware of that world, and will become aware of the world and join that fanbase and that support network of those characters and the world that we create. So, we're really thrilled about it," Pierre added, noting that he upped his workout regimen to meet the physical needs and challenges of the role.

Showrunner Mundy recently shared some insights into the dynamic between John Stewart (Pierre) and Hal Jordan (Chandler), as well as why Pierre was perfect for the role, during a new interview/profile of Pierre for Men's Health. "Our show is in a lot of ways about replacement—when should someone step aside and when is it time for the next person to take the reins? That push and pull between those two characters is really important," Mundy explained.

"So much of the power that John has is by not taking the bait, understanding that you lose your power if you're yelling and screaming. That's what we're trying to convey: He knows he belongs, so he doesn't have to overcompensate. There's a real balance there that's just innately inside of Aaron. He's big. He's an intimidating presence just physically. But there's a softness to him, too. There's a thoughtfulness. You can't teach that," Mundy added.

As for the character's rich comics history, Mundy shared how Pierre was committed to doing right by John Stewart and his fans. "Aaron felt a responsibility, especially as a Black man playing this particular role, to make sure he really understood him and brought him to life. I think fans will see the reverence he has for it, and that goes a long way," Mundy added.

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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