A new trailer has arrived for HBO Max’s Lanterns, giving DC fans another look at Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler as John Stewart and Hal Jordan ahead of its August release. The DC Studios drama premieres on HBO and HBO Max in the US on 16 August, with UK audiences expected to see it arrive on HBO Max from 17 August. The series centres on John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan, two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based murder mystery in the American heartland.
Pierre and Chandler lead the series as Stewart and Jordan, with Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, Jason Ritter, Ulrich Thomsen, J. Alphonse Nicholson and Jasmine Cephas Jones also starring. The new trailer also reveals a first look at Laura Linney in an undisclosed role, while Nathan Fillion returns as Guy Gardner, linking the series back to the wider DC Universe.
Coming after the renewed attention around James Gunn’s Superman, Lanterns feels like one of the next big tests for this new DC era. The Green Lantern corner of the comics has always been huge in scale, but this series seems to be taking a more grounded route, putting John and Hal inside something that looks closer to a crime mystery than a straightforward superhero adventure.
That might be the right move. The trailer still gives fans the glowing rings, cosmic stakes and Green Lantern mythology they will be waiting for, but the tone feels heavier and more character-led than some might have expected. There is tension between Stewart and Jordan, a sense of danger hanging over the investigation, and just enough spectacle to remind viewers that this is still DC at full power.
Behind the scenes, Lanterns comes with serious credentials. The pilot is co-written by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof and Tom King, who are also co-creators on the series. Mundy serves as showrunner, with James Hawes directing the first two episodes. James Gunn and Peter Safran are among the executive producers.
For CultureCues, the appeal here is simple: Lanterns is not just selling the powers. The rings and cosmic mythology are all there, but the new teaser puts a lot of focus on John Stewart and Hal Jordan as people. Their partnership already seems tense and complicated, which could give the series more weight than a straightforward superhero spectacle. After years of fans waiting to see Green Lantern properly brought back to screen, this one feels worth watching closely.
Lanterns premieres on HBO and HBO Max on 16 August, with the series expected to arrive on HBO Max in the UK from 17 August. Watch the new teaser below.
Nikki Murray is a UK-based writer, screenwriter and founder & editor of CultureCues, covering film, television, music and pop culture. Her work focuses on storytelling and the moments shaping modern entertainment.