DC Studios Retools HBO Max's Long-Gestating 'Green Lantern' Series To Focus It On John Stewart
Image Source: DC/Warner Bros Animation
Just over three years ago, a Strange Adventures series and a Green Lantern series were announced together during the HBO Max WarnerMedia Day Presentation, which gave investors and viewers a look at what originals to expect from the service. Today, the former has been a known merger casualty since August, and the latter is being retooled.
Having been described in October 2020 as exploring a multitude of Lanterns, including Guy Gardner, Jessica Cruz, Simon Baz, Alan Scott, and even completely new Lanterns before narrowing it to Gardner and Scott, it will now shift away from them entirely. Instead, it will now focus on John Stewart, one of DC’s first black superheroes, who was introduced in the early 1970s. According to a source, the Stewart character was initially unavailable, and Walter Hamada’s exit triggered the decision to start over. This was not one of the big splashy opening decisions of new studio heads James Gunn and Peter Safran, as their reign only began at the start of November.
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This decision leaves only executive producer Greg Berlanti and production company Berlanti Productions attached. Finn Wittrock and Jeremy Irvine were cast to play Gardner and Scott in the spring of 2021; however, their contracts or options probably expired, therefore making the shift to a new character easier. Berlanti Productions is reportedly still eager to work with both actors when the project starts moving forward again. Writer and showrunner Seth Grahame-Smith has also departed the project due to the regime changes brought on through the formation of Warner Bros Discovery and affecting all involved companies within. He completed all eight scripts for a full season of the previous iteration of the series, and those are expected to become part of the company’s tax writedowns. Marc Guggenheim, who had come on to co-write the pilot, has also been uninvolved with the show as of late. A significant comedown from its originally-envisioned budget is expected as well.
Berlanti Productions has Titans and Doom Patrol ready to start consecutive five-week runs to kick off their respective fourth seasons on November 3. Stargirl concludes its run in December, and Riverdale and The Flash conclude in 2023. Kung Fu and the two All American series premiered their latest seasons last month.
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