According to TVLine, the HBO series Lanterns adds The Blacklist Alum Ulrich Thomsen (The Celebration, Stockholm Bloodbath) to the upcoming superhero series. Thomsen will be taking on the role of DC Comics villain Sinestro, who is described as “a former Green Lantern who turned rogue” who is “ruthless yet undeniably charming” and whose “manipulative nature drives his enduring obsession with his former mentee, Hal Jordan.
HBO’s Lanterns, created by Chris Mundy (Ozark, True Detective), Damon Lindelof (Watchmen, Lost) and Tom King (Heroes in Crisis, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow), is a new addition to the DC Studios family as it adapts the story of Green Lantern in a new form. The series is set to be more of a detective take and follows Hal Jordan, a legend among the Lanterns, as he mentors John Stewart, a recruit to the Lantern Corp.
The series has announced new cast members, Thomsen being the newest addition. He joins an ever-expanding cast that includes Kyle Chandler (Manchester by the Sea, King Kong) as Hal Jordan, Aaron Pierce (Rebel Ridge, Brother) as John Stewart, Garret Dillahunt (12 Years a Slave, Raising Hope) as William Macon, Kelly Macdonald (Brave, Never Let Me Go) as Sheriff Kerry and Poorna Jagannathan (Ramy, The Night Of) as Zoe.
As per TVLine, DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran (Superman) described the series as “very much in the vein of True Detective.”
In June 2024, DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy) said, “John Stewart and Hal Jordan are two of DC’s most compelling characters. 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 [the feature film] Superman.
According to TVLine, Thomsen has a history of playing the role of a villain as he played the bad guy Alexander Kirk on NBC’s The Blacklist and crime boss Kai Proctor on Cinemax’s Banshee.
The official premiere date for Lanterns has yet to be announced.