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Lanterns HBO series premieres
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The gist
HBO premieres Lanterns on Aug 16 at 9pm, pairing Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre as Green Lanterns. The eight-episode DC drama replaces House of the Dragon in HBO's Sunday slot.
Background
Lanterns is a new DC Comics series set in James Gunn's DCU, developed as a grounded, True Detective-style take on the Green Lantern story. It follows veteran Hal Jordan and rookie John Stewart investigating a murder in the American heartland. The show is a key test for Gunn's DCU after mixed reception to recent films.
How it unfolded
- Jan 2023James Gunn and Peter Safran announce Lanterns as one of the first projects in their DCU vision.
- May 2024Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King are tapped to develop the series.
- Aug 13, 2026HBO Max releases the first five minutes of Lanterns on YouTube as a preview.
- Aug 16, 2026Lanterns premieres on HBO and HBO Max at 9 p.m. ET/PT, replacing House of the Dragon in the Sunday slot.
Who’s saying what
- Critics
- Time says Lanterns is better than most superhero shows but not as good as Watchmen.
- Critics
- Forbes' review says the premiere is 'not that super' and certainly no True Detective.