DC Studios' upcoming HBO series "Lanterns" will offer more than the grounded, crime-drama tone suggested by its early "True Detective with Green Lanterns" pitch, according to co-creator Tom King. Speaking to Collider at San Diego Comic-Con, King said that while the detective story centred on Hal Jordan and John Stewart remains intact, the show grew during development to incorporate significantly more cosmic scale and Green Lantern mythology than he originally envisaged, which should reassure long-time fans hoping for a deeper dive into the wider lore.

King said Hall H footage matched his original pitch to DC Studios co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran, which he described as "a True Detective, Training Day, but with Green Lanterns." However, he noted the finished series is "a little more cosmic" and lore-heavy than planned, featuring around six unexpected twists and progressively escalating emotion and action across episodes. "Lanterns", created by King alongside Chris Mundy and Damon Lindelof and starring Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre, premieres on HBO and HBO Max on 16 August 2026.