Feed aggregator

James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DCU is officially off and running. We have movies and TV shows to look forward for the foreseeable future after a great initial push. Creature Commandos is already streaming on Max. Superman hit cinemas in July and was a big success, while Peacemaker season two just wrapped in October. Now we know when the franchise’s next television installment will arrive. After getting delayed earlier this year, Gunn announced Lanterns will debut on August 16, just one month after Supergirl hits theaters. And unlike the show’s trailer, the image he used to share this news includes a whole lot of green.

Beware my power, Green Lantern's light. #Lanterns premieres August 16 on @hbomax.bsky.social.

— James Gunn (@jamesgunn.bsky.social) 2026-04-30T15:00:05.389Z

What can we expect from the show when it does premiere? Here’s everything we know so far about Lanterns.

HBOTitle

The title of the series is simply Lanterns. The green is implied, I guess.

DC StudiosLanterns Plot

In his initial video announcing the DC Studios slate, James Gunn described the show John Stewart and Hal Jordan investigating a “terrifying mystery” that has huge ties to the entire franchise. He likened the “Earthbound” story to True Detective.

Later descriptions include a fuller look at the plot. “Lanterns follows new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan, two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.”

In a new trailer for its 2026 shows, HBO revealed its first clips from Lanterns. It highlighted how nutty Hal Jordan is. It also showed the Green Lantern ring.

First teaser for DC’s ‘LANTERNS’

Releasing in 2026 on HBO. pic.twitter.com/2VOexWIOWn

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) December 12, 2025

The series full trailer proved Gunn’s description was very accurate.

Behind the Scenes

Ozark showrunner and True Detective: Night Country producer Chris Mundy will serve as Lanterns‘ showrunner. Mundy along with comic writer Tom King (Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow) and Damon Lindelof (Lost, Watchmen) have written the series pilot and bible.

James Gunn and Peter Safran said of the announcement: “We’re thrilled to bring this seminal DC title to HBO with Chris, Damon and Tom at the helm. John Stewart and Hal Jordan are two of DC’s most compelling characters, and Lanterns brings them to life in an original detective story that is a foundational part of the unified DCU we’re launching next summer with Superman.”

“When we first started the DCU, the first couple of weeks of heading this out, we got together with a group of writers, and Tom King was one of those writers, and we were in this room, and we came up with sort of this concept for Lanterns. It’s a much more it’s a very grounded series, a very real series, which is a strange thing to say about a Green Lanterns show. But it’s going to be something like nobody’s ever seen before.”

James Hawes, director of series like Doctor Who, Penny Dreadful, and Black Mirror, will direct the the first two episodes of Lanterns. He, along with the writers above, will serve as executive producers.

Taking to social media, James Gunn revealed a first-look image from Lanterns. And in it, we get our first look at Hal Jordan’s Green Lantern Ring. Additionally, we see Kyle Chandler’s Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart together for the first time.

John P. Johnson/HBO

Gunn notes in his post, “Excited that #Lanterns is now in production. DC Studios’ new show for HBO and Max, from creators Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, & Tom King, starring Kyle Chandler & Aaron Pierre, is something really special.”

John P. Johnson/HBO

Filming is expected to take place from January to June 2025.

Lanterns‘ CastNBC/DC Comics

The series will focus on the veteran Green Lantern Hal Jordan working a case with rookie GL John Stewart. In order to play these roles, DC would need some heavy hitters. And heavy hitters they got! Kyle Chandler (Bloodline, Friday Night Lights) plays Hal Jordan.

To play the role of John Stewart, DC cast Aaron Pierre. Pierre had a big 2025 with both the Netflix thriller Rebel Ridge and as the titular voice in Disney’s not-live-action live action film Mufasa.

“Aaron Pierre is somebody who I’ve wanted to work together with for a long time,” said James Gunn during an NYCC panel. “People don’t know, but he was almost cast as Adam Warlock. He’s an amazing actor, and I just really admired him from the beginning of his career. Seeing him read with Kyle was one of those miraculous moments. I don’t care what they’re saying, I just love what they’re saying together.”

Max PR/Warner Bros Animation

Boardwalk Empire‘s Kelly Macdonald also joins Lanterns as “Sheriff Kerry, a no-nonsense woman deeply devoted to her family and close-knit town. Her resilience, shaped by a complex past that’s hardened her resolve, anchors her when the community’s secrets begin to surface.” According to Deadline, Kelly Macdonald’s character may also “be a potential love interest for Chandler’s Hal Jordan.” Very interesting.

Additionally, Jason Ritter joins Lanterns as Billy Macon. The official description for this character notes, “Billy Macon is a good-looking charmer who does his father’s bidding. Capitalizing on his family’s reputation, he clings to his small-town ego and has everything to lose.” Ulrich Thomsen will play villain Sinestro.

RELATED ARTICLE

LANTERNS Casts Sinestro, Danish Actor Ulrich Thomsen Will Play Iconic DC Villain

Finally, Deadline revealed that J. Alphonse Nicholson, known for his role on P-Valley, will have a recurring role as a younger John, Sr. in the series. Sherman Augustus will have a more regular role as the the current John, Sr.

Lanterns‘ Release Date

Lanterns will debut on August 16, just a month after Supergirl and a couple of months before Clayface.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

Originally published on December 30, 2024.

The post James Gunn Announces LANTERNS August Premiere Date appeared first on Nerdist.

VC firm 137 Ventures has raised over $700 million to back growth-stage startups. Its portfolio includes SpaceX, Anduril, Hadrian.

If there’s one thing that’s true in The Boys, it is that nothing good comes from being in alliance with Homelander. He will use anyone to fit his twisted agenda and ask them to do things that are absolutely sickening and immoral. And, as we’ve seen throughout this series, once he’s done with someone or feels like they are a threat, he will kill them right away. Well, unless you’re Soldier Boy. There was no one who sold her soul more for Homelander than Firecracker, and she paid for those choices with her life in episode five. Showrunner Eric Kripke says that ending was fitting for Firecracker in The Boys, and we’d have to agree with him. 

RELATED ARTICLE

THE BOYS’ Valorie Curry on Firecracker’s Conflict and Consequences

“She represents these people that, no matter if you’re going to work for Homelander or various Presidents of the United States, you need to compromise every value and character and belief you’ve had,” Kripke told Nerdist. “They’re not happy until you completely humiliate yourself and give them everything you ever have. And then they throw you out. And they usually throw you out right after you’ve completely denigrated yourself… We had this great story of her completely sacrificing her morals… You prostrate yourself before these guys and they immediately kick you out in the cold.” 

Jasper Savage/Prime Video

That certainly reflects things we’ve seen in our political and overall social climate many times before. There will be someone so incredibly devoted to a leader or public figure who is clearly corrupt, and they eventually have to pay in some manner. Sure, it’s not having a supe ram your head into a statue, but it is often through financial loss or a complete crumbling of their reputation and livelihood. Firecracker was so deeply into the mess that by the time she really realized Homelander was insane, it felt too late to pull away. It’s a true cautionary tale about idolizing someone, indeed. 

The post Eric Kripke on THE BOYS Big Supe Death and Moral Sacrifice appeared first on Nerdist.

The security bug is now fixed, but the patient who found it said it was challenging to alert the software company about the issue.

X is rolling out a rebuilt ads platform powered by AI as it works to grow revenue again.

When you can't get 'em with a 'transformation plan,' supply chain pain will do the job

The great memory shortage is having yet another effect, pushing enterprises into the waiting arms of the cloud operators as they can't secure enough on-prem compute themselves.…

After the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act on Wednesday to allow Republicans to eliminate as many as a dozen Black Democratic members of Congress with partisan and racist gerrymanders, Democratic elected officials across the country were quick to announce that they will not simply sit back and take it. The governors of New York and Illinois—states where Democrats hold legislative…

Source

Lock-in worries threaten to dampen the E7 launch party

The Coalition for Fair Software Licensing has published research showing that US workers reckon Microsoft is using its productivity tools to lock their employers into the company's AI services.…

Here’s what’s happening on Santa Cruz County roads this morning…

▼︎ new incidents

Road incidents as of 7 a.m. on April 30

• A lane on westbound Highway 152 at Clifford Drive/Ohlone Parkway in Watsonville is closed for asphalt paving. The closure is scheduled to last until July 3.
   

Disclosure: Traffic incidents are partially generated by artificial intelligence. We are constantly working to improve the accuracy and quality of our AI-generated content. However, there may still be errors or inaccuracies. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us.

The post Thursday morning traffic: Westbound Highway 152 lane closed for paving appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is coming to theaters in July. And we are sure that anyone who wants to see this film starring Zendaya, Tom Holland, Matt Damon, and a host of other A-list actors knows that it will not be a short film. How could anyone tell this epic tale properly without taking a few hours to do so? Nolan did use more than 2 million feet of film to make The Odyssey, but he says it will actually be shorter than Oppenheimer. Universal Pictures

He revealed this information during an interview with Associated Press. Oppenheimer clocked in at 180 minutes, which is three hours. Thankfully, the MCU trained us all to be able to sit for that long of a film. But shorter could literally mean that The Odyssey is 2 hours and 59 minutes long, right? That would be quite funny, actually. Either way, Nolan is hopeful that audiences will love his take on one of the most enduring stories in human history. 

RELATED ARTICLE

THE ODYSSEY New Footage Shows Intense Trojan War Battle

“There’s a massive amount of pressure,” said Nolan. “Anyone taking on The Odyssey is taking on the hopes and dreams of people for epic movies everywhere and that comes with a huge responsibility. What I learned from [making The Dark Knight trilogy] is that what people want from a movie about a beloved story, a beloved set of characters, is they want a strong and sincere interpretation. They want to know that a filmmaker has gone to the mat for it. I really tried to make the best film possible.” 

The Odyssey will come to theaters on July 17.

The post Christopher Nolan Says THE ODYSSEY Is Shorter Than OPPENHEIMER appeared first on Nerdist.

Concerns over new rules might stop customers from adopting innovations – including AI – that connect to SAP systems

An influential SAP user group has criticized the vendor's API policy update, saying it lacks clarity and potentially prevents users from starting new projects and innovating on their SAP platforms.…

After Hispanic voters shifted right in the 2024 elections, Republicans crowed that they were building a new coalition that would deliver them a permanent majority. But not even two years later, Hispanic voters are abandoning the GOP and its candidates at a rapid clip, with Republicans now nearly back to where they were with Hispanic voters eight years ago. An Emerson College poll…

Source

But why did those fans go away in the first place, Satya?

Microsoft boss Satya Nadella told investors during an earnings call last night that the company needs to "win back" its fans.…

Australia has proposed taxing digital giants Meta, Google and TikTok on a part of their revenue to pay for news reporters. The government released draft legislation Tuesday it intends to introduce to Parliament by July 2 that would create a financial incentive for the social media companies to strike deals with news organizations to pay for journalism. The platforms’ criticisms included…

Source

As AI-generated artists and tracks flood music streaming platforms, Spotify is rolling out a new “Verified by Spotify” badge to help listeners more easily identify authentic human artists. To receive the badge, artists must meet certain criteria. Spotify looks for an identifiable artist presence both on and off platform, like concert dates, merch, and linked […]

Netflix is redesigning its mobile app and introducing Clips, a vertical video feed intended to help users discover new content by sharing highlights from original Netflix programming.

Please join the team that makes it possible for your friendly neighborhood comic strip Tom the Dancing Bug to exist in this hostile Trumpverse! JOIN US IN THE INNER HIVE, and be the first kid on your block to get each week’s Tom the Dancing Bug comic – before it’s published anywhere. * Sign up for the free weekly newsletter, The Tom the Dancing Bug Review! Not nearly as good as joining the…

Source

AI boom splits between companies hoarding eyeballs and those actually charging for them

Anthropic is pulling in more LLM revenue than OpenAI, despite having a fraction of the users.…

Meta said over 8 billion advertisers have used at least one of its gen AI tools

After the Department of Justice eased medical marijuana’s legal status, full reclassification could come as early as this year – a move industry participants say would help level the playing field for cannabis businesses by lowering taxes and fostering financing and trade opportunities.

The post How Santa Cruz County cannabis businesses will benefit from recent reclassification of medical marijuana appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.