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‘Lanterns’ Premiere Garners 9.3 Million Viewers in Initial Three Days on HBO Max

August 21, 2026Pablo Navarro3 мин

The debut of the DC Studios series “Lanterns” has achieved a significant viewership milestone, attracting 9.3 million viewers across HBO and HBO Max within its first three days of availability. This strong performance positions it as the most successful premiere for a DC Studios show on HBO Max to date and ranks among the top five premieres ever on the platform.

Specifically, the show captivated 6.6 million viewers in the United States alone during that initial three-day period. For comparative context, “The Penguin” premiere reached 10.4 million viewers across all platforms after eleven days, and other recent popular series such as “It: Welcome to Derry” garnered 5.7 million viewers in their first three days.

“Lanterns” is an adaptation of DC’s “Green Lantern” comic books and features a notable cast including Aaron Pierre as new recruit John Stewart, Kyle Chandler as the seasoned Lantern legend Hal Jordan, Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, Jason Ritter, Ulrich Thomsen, and Laura Linney.

The series follows Stewart and Jordan, described as intergalactic law enforcement officers, as they delve into a sinister, Earth-based mystery surrounding a murder in the American heartland.

Produced by HBO in collaboration with Warner Bros. Television and DC Studios, “Lanterns” was initially greenlit for an eight-episode season at HBO in June 2024. The show was originally planned as a Max original but was later moved to HBO as part of a strategic content realignment.

The writing for “Lanterns” is a collaborative effort by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King, who also serve as executive producers alongside James Hawes. Hawes directed the initial two episodes, while James Gunn, Peter Safran, and Ron Schmidt also hold executive producer credits. The directorial team for the series includes Stephen Williams, Geeta Vasant Patel, and Alik Sakharov.

English Translation and Paraphrasing:

Title: ‘Lanterns’ Premiere Achieves 9.3 Million Viewers in First Three Days on HBO Max

Body: The debut of the DC Studios series “Lanterns” has made a strong impression, drawing in 9.3 million viewers across HBO and HBO Max within its initial three days. This figure marks the most successful premiere for any DC Studios show on HBO Max and ranks as one of the top five premieres overall for the platform. Of that total, 6.6 million viewers were in the U.S. within the same three-day window. For perspective, the premiere of “The Penguin” accumulated 10.4 million viewers across all platforms over eleven days, and last year, “It: Welcome to Derry” saw 5.7 million viewers in its first three days.

Based on DC Comics' “Green Lantern” properties, the series stars Aaron Pierre as the new recruit John Stewart and Kyle Chandler as the established Lantern veteran Hal Jordan. The ensemble cast also includes Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, Jason Ritter, Ulrich Thomsen, and Laura Linney.

The official synopsis describes the show as following “two intergalactic cops,” John Stewart and Hal Jordan, who become entangled in a dark, terrestrial mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.

“Lanterns” is a production of HBO, in association with Warner Bros. Television and DC Studios. The series was ordered for eight episodes by HBO in June 2024. It was initially intended as a Max original but was subsequently moved to HBO as part of a new content distribution strategy.

The series is co-written by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King, all of whom also serve as executive producers along with James Hawes. Hawes is also credited with directing the first two episodes. Further executive producers include James Gunn, Peter Safran, and Ron Schmidt. The directing duties for the rest of the series are handled by Stephen Williams, Geeta Vasant Patel, and Alik Sakharov. Warner Bros. Television and DC Studios are also involved in the production with HBO.