- Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler lead the cast
- Production on the show began in February 2025
- Release in 2026 looks likely
HBO is currently filming Lanterns, a new DC series based on the Green Lantern superheroes, which is expected to be released in 2026.
Read more: Who could be the DCU’s new Batman?
The series is being run by Ozark showrunner Chris Mundy, with Lost’s Damon Lindelof producing and co-writing. Slow Horses director James Hawes is also on board to direct the first two episodes.
Though the Green Lanterns are intergalactic agents, the duo investigates a murder on Earth with a True Detective-style approach.
Who stars in the Lanterns series?
As originally announced by HBO, Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler will lead the show in their roles as Green Lanterns John Stewart and Hal Jordan, respectively.
According to Variety, Nicole Ari Parker has joined the cast to play John’s mother, Bernadette. Garrett Dillahunt also joined the series as “modern cowboy” William Macon. The character is described as a self-righteous, conspiracy-minded man who masks his ruthless ambition behind a charming and calculated facade.
Read more: Is Jeremy Allen White playing Sgt. Rock for DC?
Kelly MacDonald has been cast as Sheriff Kerry, a woman who is deeply devoted to her family and town.
Poorna Jagannathan is on board as Zoe, a character who is rumored to be a love interest for John.
Danish actor Ulrich Thomsen is set to play DC villain Sinestro, a role that was previously played by Mark Strong in the 2011 Green Lantern film.
What is Lanterns about?
As per the official log line, the series follows 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..
The series will consist of eight episodes. In February 2025, showrunner Mundy told Vanity Fair that “[Lanterns is] not part of a larger storytelling plan right now. Season 1 is designed to be its own, complete season of television that, hopefully, will become many seasons of television.”
If Jagannathan’s enthusiasm for the script is anything to go by, fans have reason to be excited. Speaking to Collider, she revealed “This is the first script that I’ve read that I understand why there’s an NDA… Everything is so insane. It is the best writing that I have ever read… I don’t know anything about sci-fi, and I don’t care, actually, but this script makes sci-fi seem like my world.”
When is the series going to be released?
On 27 February, 2025, HBO Max teased the show’s start of production and gave fans a first look at John and Hal in a post on X. It read “Kyle Chandler is Hal Jordan. Aaron Pierre is John Stewart. #Lanterns, the new HBO Original Series from DC Studios, is now in production.”
If everything goes smoothly with production, it’s safe to say that we’ll be looking at a 2026 release date. However, nothing has been officially set yet.
