DC Studios’ Lanterns Series Officially Greenlit by HBO

DC’s Lanterns will soon be soaring to HBO. On Tuesday, it was confirmed that Lanterns has been greenlit for an eight-episode, straight-to-series order by HBO, DC Studios, and Warner Bros. Television. This move will be part of a branding push to label certain upcoming series as HBO Originals, including the upcoming Harry Potter television reboot and the It prequel series Welcome to Derry. As confirmed by DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn earlier this year, Lanterns will be showrun by Chris Mundy (Ozark, True Detective: Night Country), and will be co-written by Mundy, Damon Lindelof (Watchmen, The Leftovers), and comic writer Tom King. Lindelof and King serve as executive producers on Lanterns. The announcement also confirmed that Lanterns will be the first live-action series in Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DC Universe, a slate that will later include additional live-action shows Booster Gold, Paradise Lost, Waller, and the sophomore season of Peacemaker.

“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,’” Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, HBO and Max Content, said in a statement. “As part of James and Peter’s vision for the DC Universe, this first new live action series will mark an exciting new era.”

What Is Lanterns About?

Lanterns 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 roles of Hal and John have yet to be cast at this time.

“We’re thrilled to bring this seminal DC title to HBO with Chris, Damon and Tom at the helm,” Gunn and Safran said in a statement. “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.”

What Is On the DC Universe Slate?

As Gunn and Safran revealed back in January of 2023, the initial DC Studios slate will include 2025’s Superman, 2026’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, and currently-undated movies The Brave and the Bold, Swamp Thing, and The Authority. It will also include the HBO Max television shows Waller, Booster Gold, Lanterns, Paradise Lost, and an animated Creature Commandos series.

Reports have indicated that a live-action Teen Titans movie and an animated Jurassic League movie are in the works at DC Studios, although neither have been publicly confirmed.