Chris Mundy Details the VFX and Physics of HBO’s Lanterns Series

HBO’s new series Lanterns blends NBC’s Heroes with HBO’s True Detective, following interstellar detectives Hal Jordan and John Stewart as they investigate a mass murder at a high school football game and a galactic conspiracy in Rushville, Nebraska, as reported in the November ’26 issue of Animation Magazine (No. 362).

The Bottom Line

• The Premise: Co-created by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King, the HBO series pairs veteran fighter pilot Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) with the refined John Stewart (Aaron Pierre).
• The Visual Approach: Production designer John Paino and visual effects supervisor Greg Steele focused on grounding the fantastical light-based Power Rings in physical logic, drawing aesthetic inspiration from No Country for Old Men and the paintings of Andrew Wyeth.
• The Setting: Production utilized a constructed cafe set built on an empty lot in Piru, California, designed to mimic a remote Nebraska location where the Guardians of the Universe can monitor arrivals.

Constructing Physics and Contrails on Set

When director James Hawes first discussed joining the project with co-creators Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King, the conversation immediately turned to the physics of flight. According to Animation Magazine, the creative team spent considerable time figuring out what contrails a human would leave behind while flying.

“We chatted a lot about physics on this show both in terms of constructs but also in terms of flight,” Mundy stated in the November 2026 issue. “There was a certain beauty in the contrails and at a certain point too they were a good visual representation of what Hal could do and the speed that he could do it in.”

The production wanted the unreal concept of human flight to feel as scientific and immediately understandable as possible. By grounding these visual displays in recognizable motion, the series aims to make the fantastical abilities of the Green Lantern Corps physically legible to viewers.

Grounding Light Constructs in a Physical World

The iconic fluorescent green shade of the rings remains faithful to the original DC comic books, but the physical texture of the objects created by the ring-wielders required distinct rules. Production designer John Paino explained the internal logic of the show’s material design to Animation Magazine.

“I would have these esoteric conversations about what is this bubble made out of? It’s made out of light,” Paino noted, referencing a scene featuring a bubble inside a police station. “That’s why we have this light cistern that makes this magma, which is the stuff that’s in the lantern.”

The series also explores the personal histories of the characters through their constructs. In one scene detailed by the publication, Hal Jordan uses a light-generated counterfeit money gag in a bar—a choice Mundy described as a human detail that offers a glimpse into Jordan’s life before he was chosen by the ring.

Production Element	Creative Direction	Inspiration Source
Environments	Remote, isolated Nebraska town layout	No Country for Old Men and Andrew Wyeth paintings
Flight & Contrails	Physics-based visual speed representations	Real-world aerodynamics translated to light
Ring Constructs	Material logic including light cisterns and magma	Classic DC comic lore grounded in physical spaces

Building the Nebraska Crossroads in California

To establish the eerie, isolated atmosphere of Rushville, Nebraska, the art and visual effects departments collaborated closely from the earliest stages of production. Visual effects supervisor Greg Steele explained that his team took inspiration from early art department explorations to develop undefined digital concepts.

The production located an empty lot at the end of two streets in Piru, California, where they constructed a cafe set. According to Paino, the location was strategically chosen because its placement allowed characters to see anyone approaching from multiple directions.

“One of the story points is, why are the Guardians of the Universe in this town?” Paino told Animation Magazine. “Because it’s in the middle of nowhere, and they can see literally who is coming into town.”