Looks like cameras will start rolling for HBO's Lanterns soon. Actress Poorna Jagannathan revealed in the January 27, 2025 interview with Collider, that camera tests were carried out for HBO's Green Lantern series. Actor Garret Dillahunt confirmed these tests on Instagram. He will reportedly play the role of William Macon, a present-day cowboy. In the Deadline article, his character was described like this:
"A self-righteous, conspiracy-minded man who masks his ruthless ambition behind a charming and calculated facade."
Described as a gritty and grounded series, the tone of Lanterns is supposedly inspired by True Detective, another iconic TV series from HBO.
What did Lanterns actor Garret Dillahunt do to confirm camera tests?
On January 29, 2025, Lanterns actor Garret Dillahunt posted two stories on his Instagram account that confirmed what Zoe actress Poorna Jagannathan said in the Collider interview with Steve Weintraub. Dillahunt's two stories had two different captions.
The first story featured an image of three chairs labeled Kelly MacDonald, Garrett Dillahunt, and Kyle Chandler (the third name is unclear). The caption read, "Camera test day." The second one depicted a crew conducting tests, with the caption, "Let's go, LA!"
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Based on these images, fans of the Green Lantern comics are hoping for an acclaimed adaptation of the iconic characters. British filmmaker James Haws will be the director for the first two Lanterns episodes. Haws has previously worked on the 2020 Snowpiercer show, Slow Horses, and the iconic British series Doctor Who.
Initially conceived as a Max title, the show will now be released under the banner of HBO. Unlike the comics and the 2011 live-action movie, the show will be completely set on Earth.
Cast and crew involved in the show
The showrunner for the series is Chris Mundy, who has previously worked in True Detective, Ozark, and even Criminal Minds. Other than Mundy, the HBO series also boasts of other talented people like Tom King, who is a comic book writer, and Damon Lindelof, the writer and creator of the 2019 Watchmen show. The official logline for Lanterns reads like this:
“New recruit John Stewart (Pierre) and Lantern legend Hal Jordan (Chandler), two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.”
Kelly MacDonald will be seen playing a character named Sheriff Kerry. Ulrich Thomsen, who is a respected Danish actor and filmmaker, was recently cast as Hal Jordan's mentor and nemesis Sinestro, a character that was played by Mark Strong in the 2011 movie. Portraying the two Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and John Stewart are Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre.
Fans are also hoping that Nathan Fillion, who will play another human Green Lantern, Guy Gardner, in the James Gunn-directed Superman, will reprise his role here. Apart from that, there are some theories regarding the identity of the character who is killed on Earth. Apart from that, people are also hoping that the uncovered dark secret will be the anti-life equation, setting up Darkseid.
While Lanterns does not have a release date as of now, Gunn did reveal that the HBO series is intended for a 2026 release.
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