Nader Chamas is an aspiring television writer who seeks to fuse thought provoking progressive ideals into the films, shows, and stories that he loves. Having graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a degree in Screenwriting, Nader seeks to use his writing to advance causes that do not get enough attention or input across mainstream media. Like most, Nader has his own share of his favorite franchises and stories across pop culture. However, he seeks to contribute timely and relevant topics into these stories as well as in his own original material. This is why Nader’s analysis of popular films and tv shows matches The Hollywood Insider’spractice of discussing entertainment from a socially cognizant and critical perspective.
Jul 14, 2022
Photo: Green Lantern
Warner Bros. first tried to bring the signature DC property to the big screen back in 2011 with a film starring Ryan Reynolds. The studio had initial plans to develop a sequel until the film underperformed critically and financially. Years later, when DC announced a slate of upcoming films for its own cinematic universe, an untitled ‘Green Lantern’ reboot was slated for a release in 2020, but that obviously did not come to fruition.
However, in November 2019, news broke that a new project surrounding the cosmic comic book title was being developed as a streaming series for HBO Max. While not much has been revealed about the upcoming project, here are all the details about HBO Max’s upcoming Green Lantern adaptation.
Almost nothing is known about the plot or production of the show. What has been reported within the last few years is that the series will go down a darker route, in terms of tone. There have also been reports that HBO Max is looking to give the show an almost ‘Game of Thrones’ size budget. This would only make sense given the cosmic heavy nature of the property. There are also multiple storylines centered around the Green Lantern Corps that HBO Max can adapt into the show. They can focus on not only multiple Green Lanterns, but also some of the other Lantern Corps that are out there in the cosmos. The intergalactic side of DC is something that is barely been touched in previous films or shows (even the character’s 2011 film primarily took place on Earth). This has the potential to be one of the biggest science fiction properties of the last few years and the source material is filled with rich stories to adapt.
As far as details pertaining to the show’s story, there is a somewhat more clear picture as to what viewers can expect. The series is rumored to be taking place across multiple periods of time and will be centered around multiple prominent Green Lanterns such as Guy Gardner, Alan Scott, Jessica Cruz, Simon Baz, Kilowag, Sinestro, and a new character named Bree Jarta, a half human half alien Lantern. As many comic book fans will notice, two of the names that have been absent from the show’s lineup are the two most prominent Green Lanterns from Earth, Hal Jordan (whom Reynolds played in the 2011 film) and Jon Stewart (made famous by the ‘Justice League’ animated series) as well as other famous Lanterns like Kyle Rayner and Tomar-Re. A possible reason for this is that Warner Bros. still has plans for these characters in the film realm. Stewart was originally set to have a cameo in ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’ and be portrayed by Wayne T. Carr, but as per the studios’ request, the character was replaced with Martian Manhunter.
There have been some casting announcements as well. Finn Wittrock, primarily known for ‘American Horror Story’, has been cast as Guy Gardner. Jeremy Irvine, from ‘Mama Mia: Here We Go Again’ and ‘War Horse’, has been cast as the original human Green Lantern, Alan Scott. There are also reports, albeit unconfirmed ones, that ‘Game of Thrones’ Tobias Menzies has been cast as the legendary Green Lantern villain, Sinestro. Casting for the show is still underway as of the writing of this article.
As far as the names behind the camera, the main developers come in the form of Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim, the heads behind the many DC shows of CW’s Arrowverse, and Seth-Graham-Smith, known for ‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’ and ‘The Lego Batman Movie’, as the creators of the series. Lee Toland Krieger, who directed the first two episodes of ‘Superman and Lois’, will helm the pilot for the series. This news does raise a few concerns. While it has been implied by DC that the new shows in development for HBO Max are in an entirely different continuity than the CW properties, the presence of Berlanti, Guggenheim, and Krieger as the creative head honchos of the show only leads one to suspect that this Green Lantern series will bear many similarities in style, tone, and storytelling to what is airing on CW. What is slightly concerning about this is that it is hard to find many who still tune in weekly to watch these shows, likely because they aren’t of the best quality. There may be nothing to worry about as HBO is a reliable go-to for quality television, however it does raise some eyebrows.
No release date for the series has been scheduled as of yet. Production on the series has also yet to begin. There are reports that filming will kick off in late 2022, meaning that late 2023 would be a likely window for release. There is also no word yet on how many episodes the first season will comprise of (it is safe to assume that this is a property in which DC is looking to develop multiple seasons of television off of).
The 2011 film starring Ryan Reynolds obviously did the character nowhere near justice for a variety of reasons. The story and characters were lackluster, the visual effects were mediocre, and the film watered down many aspects of the Green Lantern Corps. Now DC’s signature intergalactic peacekeeping team is getting a second chance at an adaptation in the form of a streaming series. HBO has been a powerhouse in the game of turning out quality television so fans should have all the faith in the world in HBO Max. There are of course reasons to be pessimistic, but as of right now, this Green Lantern series seems like something fans of DC, science fiction, and television, in general, should be excited about and look forward to.
By Nader Chamas
Click here to read The Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase’s love letter to Cinema, TV and Media. An excerpt from the love letter: The Hollywood Insider’s CEO/editor-in-chief Pritan Ambroase affirms, “We have the space and time for all your stories, no matter who/what/where you are. Media/Cinema/TV have a responsibility to better the world and The Hollywood Insider will continue to do so. Talent, diversity and authenticity matter in Cinema/TV, media and storytelling. In fact, I reckon that we should announce “talent-diversity-authenticity-storytelling-Cinema-Oscars-Academy-Awards” as synonyms of each other. We show respect to talent and stories regardless of their skin color, race, gender, sexuality, religion, nationality, etc., thus allowing authenticity into this system just by something as simple as accepting and showing respect to the human species’ factual diversity. We become greater just by respecting and appreciating talent in all its shapes, sizes, and forms. Award winners, which includes nominees, must be chosen on the greatness of their talent ALONE.
I am sure I am speaking for a multitude of Cinema lovers all over the world when I speak of the following sentiments that this medium of art has blessed me with. Cinema taught me about our world, at times in English and at times through the beautiful one-inch bar of subtitles. I learned from the stories in the global movies that we are all alike across all borders. Remember that one of the best symbols of many great civilizations and their prosperity has been the art they have left behind. This art can be in the form of paintings, sculptures, architecture, writings, inventions, etc. For our modern society, Cinema happens to be one of them. Cinema is more than just a form of entertainment, it is an integral part of society. I love the world uniting, be it for Cinema, TV, media, art, fashion, sport, etc. Please keep this going full speed.”
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Nader Chamas is an aspiring television writer who seeks to fuse thought provoking progressive ideals into the films, shows, and stories that he loves. Having graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a degree in Screenwriting, Nader seeks to use his writing to advance causes that do not get enough attention or input across mainstream media. Like most, Nader has his own share of his favorite franchises and stories across pop culture. However, he seeks to contribute timely and relevant topics into these stories as well as in his own original material. This is why Nader’s analysis of popular films and tv shows matches The Hollywood Insider’spractice of discussing entertainment from a socially cognizant and critical perspective.
Nader Chamas is an aspiring television writer who seeks to fuse thought provoking progressive ideals into the films, shows, and stories that he loves. Having graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a degree in Screenwriting, Nader seeks to use his writing to advance causes that do not get enough attention or input across mainstream media. Like most, Nader has his own share of his favorite franchises and stories across pop culture. However, he seeks to contribute timely and relevant topics into these stories as well as in his own original material. This is why Nader’s analysis of popular films and tv shows matches The Hollywood Insider’spractice of discussing entertainment from a socially cognizant and critical perspective.
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