HBO Max Content Chief Kevin Reilly Provides Update On Green Lanterns and Abrams’ Justice League Dark
John F. Trent
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HBO Max Content Chief Kevin Reilly discussed what to expect from the upcoming Green Lantern series and J.J. Abrams Justice League Dark series when they arrive on HBO Max.
In a wide-ranging interview about HBO Max with Business Insider, Reilly was first asked about the relationship between HBO Max and DC Universe, given that Doom Patrol will be arriving on HBO Max and had previously been a DC Universe show.
HBO Max and DC Universe
Reilly walked around the question a little bit saying, “here have been extensive discussions around DCU because DC is such a valuable entity to us and the depth of fandom is so important. So we really want to figure out how we walk this line for fans where we have a deep fan engagement, which is why DCU was designed, and a broader fan engagement.”
He continued, “That is evolving but there were high-end series that DCU produced that felt like, budgetarily, we could handle from a business model better, and bring along and service that swath of fans. “Doom Patrol” was a show we identified that had deep love for it and tucked right into our portfolio.”
Business Insider would detail that a HBO Max representative indicated that HBO Max has “no current plans for any other DCU show” to move to HBO Max.
Doom Patrol Season 2 will air on HBO Max on June 25th.
Here comes the DOOM! #DoomPatrol season 2 is coming to #HBOMax on 6/25. pic.twitter.com/CwJ1LTWB5o
— Doom Patrol (@DCDoomPatrol) May 13, 2020
Related: The CW Will Air DC Universe’s Swamp Thing One Year After Cancellation
While Doom Patrol might be the only show to move to HBO Max at this point, The CW is currently airing Stargirl, a DC Universe original, and will be airing a rerun of Swamp Thing Season 1 as well.
That just leaves DC Universe with Titans and the Harley Quinn animated series as originals to the DC Universe platform.
Green Lantern
Reilly responded by first indicating that the HBO Max originals will not be like The CW’s Arrowverse shows. He explained, “Greg [Berlanti, who is producing a Green Lantern series for Max] has done a lot of really quality DC fare for The CW. These will not be that.”
He continued, “These will be next step up in production value. You can expect the highest level of cinematic production values on those shows, and that’s the same for the projects we’ve announced with J.J. [Abrams].”
The latest rumor surrounding the Green Lantern series indicate it will be set in the same continuity as the announced Green Lantern film that Geoff Johns has been working on.
According to this rumor the series will take place in two different timelines. One timeline will take place in the past and focus on Abin Sur and Thaal Sinestro as Green Lanterns. It will showcase Sur’s death and Sinestro’s collapse into fear.
The second timeline is expected to take place in the present and will focus on Jessica Cruz and Simon Baz joining the Green Lantern Corps and working to be the protectors of Sector 2814. It will see Cruz and Baz train alongside a number of other Green Lantern recruits.
Some of the trainers that are rumored to appear will be Kilowog, Tomar-Re, Katma Tui, and Salaak. They will reportedly be taking on long-time Green Lantern foes the Manhunters.
Justice League Dark
Reilly then confirmed that Abrams did indeed pitch the Justice League Dark series.
He stated, “Yes, he’s always loved it. He always felt that there was a lot of opportunity there and an unexplored territory, and kind of a pond that he could play in exclusively. ”
Abrams’ Justice League Dark series was announced in April. However, details on the series were few and far between at the time. There still aren’t many details or who might actually be part of the team.
One has to assume it would most likely include Constantine, Zatanna, and Deadman. Other members of the team have included Wonder Woman, Swamp Thing, Madame Xanadu, Man-Bat, Detective Chimp, Doctor Fate, The Phantom Stranger, Black Orchid, and Frankenstein.
Related: Swamp Thing: Gary Dauberman Teases Ideas for the Unrealized Second Season
Swamp Thing, Madame Xanadu, and The Phantom Stranger all appeared on the DC Universe Swamp Thing show and there had been plans if the series had not been canceled to introduce Justice League Dark.
Snyder Cut
Not only did he discuss what to expect as far as production level when it comes to these HBO Max shows, he also was asked when he began talking about bringing the Snyder Cut to the streaming service.
Director Zack Snyder announced a Director’s Cut of Justice League would be arriving on HBO Max in 2021.
Related: The Snyder Cut For Dummies: What is Zack Snyder’s Justice League
Reilly answered that he didn’t remember when exactly Zack and Deborah Snyder approached him, “I forget when Zack and Deborah [Snyder] first gave us the sense of where they were heading, but even from that meeting, me and my team felt it was something we really wanted to do.”
He did explain there were a number of issues involved in bringing the Snyder Cut to the platform including legal issues, “There were a lot of issues involved to figure out how we could deliver on his vision, and a myriad of legal issues.”
Reilly then indicates they had been negotiations about bringing the Snyder Cut to HBO Max for awhile given all of the hurdles they had to overcome. He states, “We’ve been sitting on this for quite some time but working on it. It was obviously a secret project given the high level of interest, but we were chipping away at it piece by piece.”
He concluded, “There was some strategy but also some serendipity in how we got over the hurdle of some of those issues just before the launch [of Max].”
When asked what some of the specific issues were, he was mum only saying, “That’s a whole separate interview [laughs]. Let’s file that as a follow up.”
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