James Gunn has shared the first look photo of Lanterns, the DC Studios series starring Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre.
The HBO series comes from Ozark’s Chris Mundy, Watchmen‘s Damon Lindelof, and comic book writer Tom King.
Gunn took to social media to express his excitement over Lanterns officially going into production, calling the series “something really special.” In the image, Pierre and Chandler are seen walking down a curvy road and looking ready for action.
HBO is producing the eight-episode Lanterns in association with Warner Bros Television and DC Studios. Mundy will serve as showrunner, and Lindelof and King are co-writing and executive producing. James Hawes will direct the first two episodes and also executive produce.
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“From the start, our driving force has been to deliver a layered drama – rooted in nuanced storytelling and rich world building – that balances tension and mystery with honest, authentic emotion,” Mundy said. “The goal is to create something that feels timeless and grounded without sacrificing the magic of the source material.”
Chandler will take on the role of Hal Jordan, a former test pilot and experienced Green Lantern.
Other cast members for the series include Ulrich Thomsen as supervillain Sinestro, Poorna Jagannathan as Zoe, Kelly Macdonald as Hal’s love interest Sheriff Kerry, and Garry Dillahunt as modern cowboy William Macon.
DC Studios co-heads Gunn and Peter Safran recently revealed that the Lanterns would be shot in Los Angeles and the Warner Bros. lot.
The Lanterns pilot is co-written by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof and Tom King. The first two episodes are directed by James Hawes, with Stephen Williams, Geeta Vasant Patel and Alik Sakharov also tapped to direct. The series is executive produced by Mundy, Lindelof, James Gunn, Peter Safran, King, Ron Schmidt, and Hawes. Based on the DC comic “Green Lantern.”
Late last year, Pierre said in an interview he had already been doing “extensive” work to prepare for his role of John Stewart.
“What I can tell you is that the team are just super, super excited to have this opportunity to bring this story to the people,” Pierre told ComicBook. “And, so far as I’m concerned, I’m gonna do my very best to serve and honor and elevate in any way I can, John Stewart and the [Green Lantern] Corps. Hopefully, I serve that and it resonates with me.”
Lanterns will premiere sometime in 2026 on HBO and Max.