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Green Lantern Is Cool Again: DC Writer Tom King on Making HBO’s ‘Lanterns’ After Fighting Terrorists as a CIA Officer
DC Comics writer Tom King is helming HBO's new series "Lanterns," a gritty, detective-style reboot of the Green Lantern franchise designed to shed the character's poor Hollywood track record, notably the widely panned 2011 Ryan Reynolds film. King, who is also behind Marvel's "WandaVision" and DC's "Supergirl" adaptations, brings an unusual background to the project: before his comics career took off, he spent several years as a CIA counterterrorism officer, giving the show's investigative tone added authenticity.
"Lanterns" stars Kyle Chandler as a jaded Hal Jordan mentoring newcomer Aaron Pierre, with the pair investigating a murder in rural Nebraska linked to extraterrestrial forces, in a style compared to HBO's "True Detective." King worked at the CIA from shortly after 9/11 until 2009, an experience he credits for his intense modern work ethic, including writing into the early hours after full days on other projects. He spoke to Variety in Brooklyn following the "Supergirl" premiere, ahead of travelling to France's Annecy festival to showcase his animated "Mister Miracle" adaptation, having started out as a comics-obsessed intern at DC and Marvel while at Columbia University.
In short
- Tom King reinvents Green Lantern as gritty HBO detective drama "Lanterns"
- King is a former CIA counterterrorism officer turned top comics writer
- Series stars Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre, out on HBO
Explained simply
Green Lantern is a DC Comics character who has appeared in films and television, but the franchise has not found sustained success in recent years. The 2011 film starring Ryan Reynolds was particularly poorly received and remains a cautionary example of a superhero adaptation that failed to connect with audiences.
HBO's "Lanterns" represents a fresh attempt to bring the Green Lantern character to screen, this time with a grounded, detective-style approach more akin to crime dramas like "True Detective" than traditional superhero fare. The series follows two characters investigating a murder with links to extraterrestrial forces in rural Nebraska.
The show is written by Tom King, whose previous television work includes "WandaVision" and "Supergirl." Notably, King spent years working as a counterterrorism officer for the CIA, an experience that brings authenticity to the show's investigative tone and reflects his broader approach to storytelling, which tends towards the psychologically intense.