The Lanterns Show Has Recruited Its First Director

The last few weeks, Warner Bros. has been making moves with its upcoming Lanterns show. After a number of stars were said to be circling the lead role of Hal Jordan, the part ultimately went to Friday Night Lights alum Kyle Chandler. Now, the DC Comics drama has managed to go a step further and lock down someone to get behind the camera for its opening act.

Per the Hollywood Reporter, British director James Hawes will helm the first two episodes of the show, and has also been brought onboard as an executive producer for the series. Hawes is a recurring director for Slow Horses over on AppleTV+, and has also directed for several genre shows, including Doctor Who and Raised by Wolves. But Lanterns isn’t just a sci-fi series, it’s also said to be a have gritty cop vibe a la True Detective, and Hawes has some experience there: along with Slow Horses, he’s directed for cop-adjacent shows like The Alienist and The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher.

Also according to THR, there’s been some minor casting movement for Lanterns’ co-lead, John Stewart. Last week, Aaron Pierre (Rebel Ridge) and Stephan James (Beacon 23) were reported as in the running for the part, which will see John as the newbie mentored by Chandler’s more veteran hero Hal, and the outlet now says both men screen tested for the part on Thursday and Friday. At the moment, they appear to still be the only two frontrunners for the part, and we’ll let you know who ultimately ends up getting it once the decision is made.

Lanterns sees Hal and John doing their space cop thing on Earth looking into a murder in the American heartland that’s managed to fall inside their jurisdiction. As they go investigating, the duo start to uncover something darker that might also revereberate throughout the rest of the galaxy. The eight-episode season is headed up by showrunner Chris Mundy, who also wrote and EPs the series with Leftovers alum Damon Lindelof and comics scribe Tom King.

We’ll have more information on Lanterns as it’s doled out ahead of the show’s eventual release on Max—or rather, HBO (again)—in the near future.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.