Lanterns series to blend grounded mystery with DC cosmic lore

The upcoming HBO series "Lanterns," part of James Gunn's new DC Universe (DCU) Chapter One, is set to premiere on August 16. The show follows the dynamic between veteran Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and trainee John Stewart (Aaron Pierre).

Showrunner Chris Mundy has described the series as a grounded murder mystery set in Nebraska, drawing comparisons to the tone of "True Detective." While the initial focus is on a terrestrial investigation into a series of killings, Mundy suggested that the scale of the storytelling may expand to include the broader cosmic elements of the Green Lantern lore. Mundy stated, "We’d be stupid not to use everything that you can do inside the Green Lantern universe."