James Gunn, the DCU, and HBO have released the first trailer for the upcoming eight-episode series, Lanterns, offering the first official look at footage from the new Green Lantern show and confirming an August release.
The teaser keeps things grounded, and we know it’s “mature” because of the f-bombs.
The trailer confirms that the two leads share a single power ring. John Stewart, played by Aaron Pierre, hasn’t worn the ring in two months of training, while Hal Jordan, played by Kyle Chandler, briefly flies through the air without even wearing the Green Lantern costume or glowing green power.
Notably absent from the teaser are the large-scale visual effects typically associated with Green Lantern. Outside of the brief flying shot from Chandler’s Hal Jordan, the trailer features zero major ring constructs or cosmic spectacle.
Update: Fans are roasting the trailer.
Budget Concerns Surround DCU Projects
The scaled-back look fits with what we’ve been told regarding financial restraints placed on the DCU.
We have been told that Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav put James Gunn under tighter financial control during the company’s ongoing sale process.
According to what we have been told, Zaslav canceled earlier DCEU plans under Mike De Luca and instructed Gunn to reboot DC with cheaper talent.
Gunn himself has also previously commented about the budget limitations surrounding Supergirl.
The Lanterns trailer appearing relatively low-key visually appears to line up with that strategy.
Insiders Say The Series Expands Later
Despite the grounded teaser, insiders have still told us the Lanterns series is strong creatively.
We’re told the show eventually leans further into heavier sci-fi elements, though that may not happen until later in the season.
“You manifested it early. The official #Lanterns teaser is here. Coming this August,” reads the trailer description released alongside the footage. Watch below.
Lanterns Plot And Cast
Based on the DC Comics characters, Lanterns follows Green Lantern recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan.
The two intergalactic cops become drawn into a dark mystery on Earth as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.
The cast includes Kelly MacDonald, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, Ulrich Thomsen, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Sherman Augustus, J. Alphonse Nicholson, Jason Ritter, Nathan Fillion, Chris Coy, and Paul Ben-Victor.
The series is produced by HBO in association with Warner Bros. Television and DC Studios.
Chris Mundy serves as showrunner and co-wrote the pilot with Damon Lindelof and Tom King, who are also co-creators of the series. The first two episodes are directed by James Hawes, with Stephen Williams, Geeta Vasant Patel, and Alik Sakharov also directing.
Executive producers include Mundy, Lindelof, James Gunn, Peter Safran, King, Ron Schmidt, and Hawes.
Watch the Lanterns trailer:
