Despite strong ratings and positive reviews, a second season of ‘Lanterns’ isn’t guaranteed just yet. The series has reportedly made a huge impression on HBO, but the network is taking its time before deciding whether Hal Jordan and John Stewart’s story will continue.
‘Lanterns’ Is A Major HBO Success
‘Lanterns’ opened with 9.3 million viewers, making it HBO Max’s biggest DC Studios premiere to date. The response has also been strong critically, with the series sitting at 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, while the audience score stands at 75%. That combination would normally make a renewal feel almost inevitable.
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However, HBO executives aren’t ready to make the call yet. The reason isn’t apparently a lack of interest. Instead, the network wants to see what the writers come up with for a potential second season.
The writers’ room reopened in July, with the creative team working on pitch pages that will eventually be presented to HBO. Until those ideas are ready, the network appears content to wait. And honestly, that makes sense for a show with this much attention riding on it.
Season 2 Depends On The Next Story
Chris Mundy serves as showrunner and has been joined by Chris Cantwell as co-showrunner for the season-two development process. Damon Lindelof and Tom King, who co-created the series alongside Mundy, aren’t expected to return if another season is ordered.
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The first season follows Hal Jordan and John Stewart as they investigate a mysterious murder in Nebraska, blending the Green Lantern mythology with a grounded crime story. For now, HBO reportedly wants to continue the series, but the next step depends on whether the proposed stories convince the network.
With four episodes remaining in Season 1 and the finale scheduled for October 4, viewers may have to wait a little longer for an official answer. The ratings might be impressive, but ‘Lanterns’ still has one mystery left to solve: can its next story give HBO a reason to keep the lights on?
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