Green Lantern (film)
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''Green Lantern'' is a 2011 American
superhero film A superhero film (or superhero movie) is a film that focuses on the actions of superheroes. Superheroes are individuals who possess superhuman abilities and are dedicated to protecting the public. These films typically feature Action film, ac ...
based on the
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
character of the same name. The film stars
Ryan Reynolds Ryan Rodney Reynolds (born October 23, 1976) is a Canadian-American actor. He is one of the highest-grossing film actors of all time, with a worldwide box-office gross of over  billion. He began his career starring in the Canadian teen ...
,
Blake Lively Blake Ellender Lively ( Brown; born August 25, 1987) is an American actress. Born in Los Angeles, Lively is the daughter of actor Ernie Lively, and made her professional debut in his directorial project ''Sandman'' (1998). She starred as Brid ...
,
Peter Sarsgaard John Peter Sarsgaard (; born March 7, 1971) is an American actor. His first feature role was in '' Dead Man Walking'' in 1995. He then appeared in the 1998 independent films ''Another Day in Paradise'' and ''Desert Blue''. That same year, Sarsga ...
,
Mark Strong Mark Strong (born Marco Giuseppe Salussolia; 5 August 1963), is a British actor, best known for his film roles such as Prince Septimus in '' Stardust'' (2007), Archibald in ''RocknRolla'' (2008), Lord Henry Blackwood in ''Sherlock Holmes'' (20 ...
,
Angela Bassett Angela Evelyn Bassett (born August 16, 1958) is an American actress. She had her breakthrough with her portrayal of singer Tina Turner in the biopic ''What's Love Got to Do with It'' (1993), which garnered her a nomination for the Academy Award ...
, and
Tim Robbins Timothy Francis Robbins (born October 16, 1958) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for portraying Andy Dufresne in the film ''The Shawshank Redemption ''(1994), and has won an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards for his role ...
, with
Martin Campbell Martin Campbell (born 24 October 1943) is a New Zealand film and television director based in the United Kingdom. He is known for having directed ''The Mask of Zorro'' as well as the James Bond in film, James Bond films ''GoldenEye'' and ''Cas ...
directing a script by
Greg Berlanti Gregory Berlanti (born May 24, 1972) is an American screenwriter, producer and director of film and television. He is known for his work on the television series ''Dawson's Creek'', '' Brothers & Sisters'', ''Everwood'', '' Political Animals'', ...
and comic book writers Michael Green and
Marc Guggenheim Marc Guggenheim (born September 24, 1970) is an American screenwriter, television producer, comic book writer, and novelist. He is best known as the creator of the television series ''Eli Stone'' (2008–2009), ''Arrow'' (2012– 2020), and ''Lege ...
, which was subsequently rewritten by
Michael Goldenberg Michael Goldenberg (born January 18, 1965) is an American playwright, screenwriter and film director. He graduated from the Carnegie Mellon College of Drama in 1986 with a B.F.A. Goldenberg is best known for writing the screenplay for the film '' ...
. This was the first DC film since ''Catwoman'' not to be involved with
Legendary Pictures Legendary Pictures Productions, LLC (doing business as Legendary Entertainment or simply Legendary) is an American film production and mass media company based in Burbank, California, founded by Thomas Tull in 2000. The company has collaborated ...
. The film tells the story of
Hal Jordan Harold "Hal" Jordan, one of the characters known as Green Lantern, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created in 1959 by writer John Broome and artist Gil Kane, and first appeared in '' ...
, a test pilot who is selected to become the first human member of an intergalactic police force called the
Green Lantern Corps Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic law enforcement organization appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians, a race of immortals residin ...
. Hal is given a
ring Ring may refer to: * Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry * To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell :(hence) to initiate a telephone connection Arts, entertainment and media Film and ...
that grants him superpowers, and must confront
Parallax Parallax is a displacement or difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight and is measured by the angle or semi-angle of inclination between those two lines. Due to foreshortening, nearby objects ...
, who threatens to upset the balance of power in the universe. The film first entered
development Development or developing may refer to: Arts *Development hell, when a project is stuck in development *Filmmaking, development phase, including finance and budgeting *Development (music), the process thematic material is reshaped * Photograph ...
in 1997; progress remained stalled until Greg Berlanti was hired to write and direct in October 2007.
Martin Campbell Martin Campbell (born 24 October 1943) is a New Zealand film and television director based in the United Kingdom. He is known for having directed ''The Mask of Zorro'' as well as the James Bond in film, James Bond films ''GoldenEye'' and ''Cas ...
was brought on board in February 2009 after Berlanti was forced to vacate the director's position. Most of the live-action actors were cast between July 2009 and February 2010, and filming took place from March to August 2010 in
Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
. The film was converted to 3D during its post-production stage. ''Green Lantern'' was released on June 17, 2011 to negative reviews, with criticism aimed at its poor writing, comedic tone and lack of faithfulness to the source material, while the visuals received mixed reviews. The film underperformed at the box office, grossing $219 million against a production budget of $200 million. It was also originally intended to start a film franchise based on DC characters. However, due to the film's negative reception and disappointing box office performance,
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
scrapped plans for a sequel, opting instead to use '' Man of Steel'' as the official start of the
DC Extended Universe The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films and television series produced by DC Studios and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that ...
, two years after ''Green Lantern''s release.


Plot

Billions of years ago, the
Guardians of the Universe The Guardians of the Universe are a race of extraterrestrial superhero characters appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Green Lantern. They first appeared in ''Green Lantern'' (vol. 2) #1 (July 19 ...
use the green essence of willpower to create an intergalactic police force called the
Green Lantern Corps Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic law enforcement organization appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians, a race of immortals residin ...
. They divide the universe into 3,600 sectors, with one Green Lantern per sector. One such Green Lantern,
Abin Sur Abin Sur is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He was a member of the Green Lantern Corps and is best known as the predecessor of Green Lantern Hal Jordan, whom Abin Sur's power ring chose as his replacement. Aft ...
of Sector 2814, defeats the malevolent being
Parallax Parallax is a displacement or difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight and is measured by the angle or semi-angle of inclination between those two lines. Due to foreshortening, nearby objects ...
and imprisons him in the Lost Sector on the desolate planet Ryut. In the present day, Parallax escapes from his prison after becoming strengthened by an encounter with crash survivors who had accidentally fallen into the dugout where Parallax was imprisoned on the abandoned planet. Parallax feeds on their fear to gain strength before pursuing and mortally wounding Abin Sur, who escapes and crash-lands on Earth where he commands his power ring to find a worthy successor.
Hal Jordan Harold "Hal" Jordan, one of the characters known as Green Lantern, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created in 1959 by writer John Broome and artist Gil Kane, and first appeared in '' ...
, a cocky test pilot working at Ferris Aircraft, is chosen by the ring and transported to the crash site, where the dying Abin Sur appoints him a Green Lantern, telling him to take the lantern and speak
the oath The Oath may refer to: Books * ''The Oath'' (Wiesel novel), a 1973 novel by Elie Wiesel * ''The Oath'' (Peretti novel), a 1995 novel by Frank E. Peretti * '' The Oath: The Obama White House and the Supreme Court'', a 2012 book by Jeffrey Toobin ...
. Hal says the oath and is whisked away to the Green Lantern Corps home planet of Oa, where he meets and trains with veteran Corps members Tomar-Re,
Kilowog Kilowog is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character is a member of the Green Lantern Corps. The character appeared in the 2011 ''Green Lantern'' film with his voice provided by actor Michael Clarke Dunca ...
, and Corps leader
Sinestro Thaal Sinestro () (or simply Sinestro) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, particularly those featuring Green Lantern. Sinestro is a former Green Lantern Corps member who was dishonorably discharged for abu ...
, who believes he is unfit and fearful. Hal, disheartened by his extreme training sessions and Sinestro's doubts, quits and returns to Earth, keeping the power ring and lantern. Scientist
Hector Hammond Hector Hammond is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics who is primarily an enemy of Green Lantern. Peter Sarsgaard played the role of Hammond in the 2011 film ''Green Lantern''. Publication history Hector Ham ...
is summoned by his father, Senator Robert Hammond, to a secret government facility to perform an autopsy on Abin Sur's body under the watchful eye of
Amanda Waller Amanda Blake Waller (née White), also known as "the Wall", is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''Legends'' #1 in 1986 and was created by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and ...
. A piece of Parallax inside the corpse enters Hammond, giving him telepathic and telekinetic powers at the cost of his sanity. After discovering that he was chosen for the secret work only due to his father's influence and not for his own abilities, Hammond attempts to kill his father by telekinetically sabotaging his helicopter at a massive party with the use of Parallax's power. Hal saves the senator and the party guests, including his childhood sweetheart
Carol Ferris Caroline "Carol" Ferris is a fictional character appearing in the . She is one of many characters who has used the name Star Sapphire, and was the long-time love interest of Hal Jordan, the Silver Age Green Lantern. In her role as Star Sapphire ...
. The following night, Hal visits Carol Ferris's home in costume, but she immediately recognizes him after getting a closer look. Then they spend a peaceful time together. However, Carol becomes saddened after learning that Hal quit the Corps. Later, at the government facility, Hammond uses
telekinesis Psychokinesis (from grc, ψυχή, , soul and grc, κίνησις, , movement, label=ㅤ), or telekinesis (from grc, τηλε, , far off and grc, κίνησις, , movement, label=ㅤ), is a hypothetical psychic ability allowing a person ...
to successfully kill his father by burning him alive. Hammond also elevates Waller high above the floor. As she's falling, Hal arrives and saves the injured Waller by creating a pool of water which whisks her away out of further danger. During the encounter, Hal learns of Parallax coming to Earth. On Oa, the Guardians tell Sinestro that Parallax was one of their fellow guardians who attempted to control the yellow essence of fear, only to become corrupted himself. Arguing that the way to fight fear is with fear itself, Sinestro requests that the Guardians forge a ring of the same yellow power, preparing to concede Earth's destruction to Parallax in order to protect Oa. Hal appears and tries to convince the Guardians that fear will turn the users evil if its power is used, but they reject his pleas, and he returns to Earth to try to defeat Parallax on his own. Hal saves Carol from Hammond after a brief showdown. Parallax arrives, consumes Hammond's entire life force, and then wreaks havoc on Coast City. After a fierce battle, Hal lures Parallax away from Earth to chase him across the
Solar System The Solar SystemCapitalization of the name varies. The International Astronomical Union, the authoritative body regarding astronomical nomenclature, specifies capitalizing the names of all individual astronomical objects but uses mixed "Solar S ...
. Parallax is caught in the sun's
gravitational pull In physics, gravity () is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things with mass or energy. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interactions, approximately 1038 times weaker than the stron ...
and is destroyed. Hal loses consciousness after the battle and falls toward the star, but is saved by Sinestro, Kilowog, and Tomar-Re. The entire Green Lantern Corps congratulates Hal for his bravery. Sinestro tells Hal he now bears the responsibility of protecting his sector as a Green Lantern. Hal and Carol spend one last time together, and he tells her that he'll be away for a while. The two share a kiss and Hal flies away. In a
mid-credits scene A post-credits scene (commonly referred to as a stinger or credit cookie) or mid-credits scene is a short clip that appears after all or some of the closing credits have rolled and sometimes after a production logo of a film, TV series, or video g ...
, Sinestro takes the yellow ring and places it on his finger, causing his green suit and eyes to turn yellow.


Cast

*
Ryan Reynolds Ryan Rodney Reynolds (born October 23, 1976) is a Canadian-American actor. He is one of the highest-grossing film actors of all time, with a worldwide box-office gross of over  billion. He began his career starring in the Canadian teen ...
as Hal Jordan / Green Lantern:
A test pilot for the Ferris Aircraft Company whose will to act qualifies him to become the first earthman ever inducted into an intergalactic peacekeeping force fueled by green energy of will. Reynolds said, "I've known about 'Green Lantern' my whole life, but I've never really followed it before. I fell in love with the character when I met with Martin Campbell". Reynolds called the film "an origin story to a certain degree, but it's not a labored origin story, where the movie begins in the third act. The movie starts when it starts. We find out Hal is the guy fairly early on, and the adventure begins". Alternatively
Chris Pine Chris Pine (born August 26, 1980) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' reboot film series (2009–present), Steve Trevor in the DC Extended Universe films ''Wonder Woman'' (2017) and ''Won ...
,
Sam Worthington Samuel Henry John Worthington (born 2 August 1976) is an Australian actor. He is best known for playing Jake Sully in ''Avatar'' and its sequel, ''Avatar: The Way of Water''; Marcus Wright in ''Terminator Salvation'', and Perseus in '' Clash o ...
,
Jon Hamm Jonathan Daniel Hamm (born March 10, 1971) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Don Draper in the period drama television series ''Mad Men'' (2007–2015), for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Televisi ...
,
Nathan Fillion Nathan Fillion (; born March 27, 1971) is a Canadian-American actor. He played the leading roles of Captain Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds on '' Firefly'' and its film continuation '' Serenity'', and Richard Castle on '' Castle''. , he was starring as J ...
(who voiced the character in animated DC Comics projects),
Bradley Cooper Bradley Charles Cooper (born January 5, 1975) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award and two Grammy Awards, in addition to nominations for nine Academy Awards, si ...
,
Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...
and
Jared Leto Jared Joseph Leto ( ; born December 26, 1971) is an American actor and musician. Known for his method acting in a variety of roles, he has received numerous accolades over a career spanning three decades, including an Academy Award and a Golde ...
were considered for the role, while
Brian Austin Green Brian Austin Green (born Brian Green; July 15, 1973) is an American actor, rapper, television personality and podcaster, best known for his portrayal of David Silver on the television series ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (1990–2000). Green was al ...
, a ''Green Lantern'' fan, campaigned for the part, but ultimately did not audition. **
Gattlin Griffith Gattlin Tadd Griffith (born November 13, 1998) is an American actor, best known for portraying Walter Collins in the historical crime drama ''Changeling'' (2008), Tim Tyson in the autobiographical civil rights film ''Blood Done Sign My Name'' (2 ...
portrays a young Jordan. *
Blake Lively Blake Ellender Lively ( Brown; born August 25, 1987) is an American actress. Born in Los Angeles, Lively is the daughter of actor Ernie Lively, and made her professional debut in his directorial project ''Sandman'' (1998). She starred as Brid ...
as
Carol Ferris Caroline "Carol" Ferris is a fictional character appearing in the . She is one of many characters who has used the name Star Sapphire, and was the long-time love interest of Hal Jordan, the Silver Age Green Lantern. In her role as Star Sapphire ...
:
The vice president of Ferris Aircraft and a long-time love interest of Hal Jordan. One pseudonymous writer citing unnamed sources said Lively was among five leading contenders that included
Eva Green Eva Gaëlle Green (, ; born ) is a French actress and model. The daughter of actress Marlène Jobert, she began her career in theatre before making her film debut in Bernardo Bertolucci's '' The Dreamers'' (2003). She achieved international reco ...
,
Keri Russell Keri Lynn Russell (born March 23, 1976) is an American actress. She portrayed the titular character on the drama series ''Felicity (TV series), Felicity'' (1998–2002), which won her a Golden Globe Award, and Elizabeth Jennings (The Americans), ...
,
Diane Kruger Diane Kruger ( Heidkrüger; ; born 15 July 1976) is a German and American actress. Early in her career, Kruger gained worldwide recognition and received the Trophée Chopard from the Cannes Film Festival. Kruger became known for her roles in f ...
, and
Jennifer Garner Jennifer Anne Garner (born April 17, 1972) is an American actress. Born in Houston, Texas, and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, Garner studied theater at Denison University and began acting as an understudy for the Roundabout Theatre Compan ...
. About her stunt work in which she rehearsed with stunt coordinator Gary Powell ('' Casino Royale'', '' The Bourne Ultimatum'', ''
Quantum of Solace ''Quantum of Solace'' is a 2008 spy film and the twenty-second in the List of James Bond films, ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions. It is the sequel to Casino Royale (2006 film), ''Casino Royale'' (2006). Directed by Marc Forst ...
''), gymnastic acrobats from ''
Cirque du Soleil Cirque du Soleil (, ; "Circus of the Sun" or "Sun Circus") is a Canadian entertainment company and the largest contemporary circus producer in the world. Located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul on 16 Ju ...
'' and used aerial stunt rigs created for ''
The Matrix ''The Matrix'' is a 1999 science fiction action film written and directed by the Wachowskis. It is the first installment in ''The Matrix'' film series, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Joe Pantolia ...
'', Lively explained, "Our director likes it real—the fights close and dirty... I'm 40 feet in the air, spiraling around. That's the best workout you can ever do because it's all core... You do that for ten minutes and you should see your body the next day! It's so exhilarating, so thrilling—and nauseating". **Jenna Craig portrays a young Ferris. *
Peter Sarsgaard John Peter Sarsgaard (; born March 7, 1971) is an American actor. His first feature role was in '' Dead Man Walking'' in 1995. He then appeared in the 1998 independent films ''Another Day in Paradise'' and ''Desert Blue''. That same year, Sarsga ...
as
Hector Hammond Hector Hammond is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics who is primarily an enemy of Green Lantern. Peter Sarsgaard played the role of Hammond in the 2011 film ''Green Lantern''. Publication history Hector Ham ...
:
A scientist who is exposed to the yellow energy of fear from Parallax, which causes his brain to grow to an enormous size and grants him
psionic In American science fiction of the 1950s and 1960s, psionics was a proposed discipline that applied principles of engineering (especially electronics) to the study (and employment) of paranormal or psychic phenomena, such as telepathy and psychok ...
powers. Regarding his preparation for the role, Sarsgaard stated, "I actually did hang with this biologist from
Tulane Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into a comprehensive pub ...
that was I think just the most eccentric guy they could find. He was entertaining, and he and I actually worked on my lecture that I give in 'Green Lantern''" About his character Sarsgaard remarked, "He's got shades of gray. It's eccentricity on top of eccentricity". **Kennon Kepper portrays a young Hammond. *
Mark Strong Mark Strong (born Marco Giuseppe Salussolia; 5 August 1963), is a British actor, best known for his film roles such as Prince Septimus in '' Stardust'' (2007), Archibald in ''RocknRolla'' (2008), Lord Henry Blackwood in ''Sherlock Holmes'' (20 ...
as Thaal Sinestro:
A Green Lantern and Hal Jordan's mentor. Strong affirmed that the film will follow the origin story, "the film closely follows the early comics. Sinestro starts out as Hal Jordan's mentor, slightly suspicious and not sure of him because obviously Hal is the first human being who's made into a Green Lantern. He's certainly very strict and unsure of the wisdom of Hal becoming a Green Lantern". Strong said, the character "is a military guy but isn't immediately bad. It's the kind of person that lends himself to becoming bad over the course of the comics being written, but initially he's quite a heroic figure." He also revealed that the outfit and other aspects of the character very closely follow the character's early days, "That
widow's peak A widow's peak is a V-shaped point in the hairline in the center of the forehead. Hair growth on the forehead is suppressed in a bilateral pair of periorbital fields. Without a widow's peak, these fields join in the middle of the forehead so as t ...
and thin mustache was for some reason originally based on
David Niven James David Graham Niven (; 1 March 1910 – 29 July 1983) was a British actor, soldier, memoirist, and novelist. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Major Pollock in ''Separate Tables'' (1958). Niven's other roles ...
... So I would like to do justice to the Sinestro that was conceived for the comic books". *
Angela Bassett Angela Evelyn Bassett (born August 16, 1958) is an American actress. She had her breakthrough with her portrayal of singer Tina Turner in the biopic ''What's Love Got to Do with It'' (1993), which garnered her a nomination for the Academy Award ...
as
Amanda Waller Amanda Blake Waller (née White), also known as "the Wall", is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''Legends'' #1 in 1986 and was created by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and ...
:
A former congressional aide and government agent. About the differences between the comic book and film character Bassett said, "Well, I'm not 300 pounds," but added that her character does have "that intellectual, that bright, that no-nonsense, that means business ersonality
he's He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
getting it done and in the trenches nothing fazes her". *
Tim Robbins Timothy Francis Robbins (born October 16, 1958) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for portraying Andy Dufresne in the film ''The Shawshank Redemption ''(1994), and has won an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards for his role ...
as Robert Hammond:
A United States senator and the father of the movie's human villain, Hector Hammond. *
Temuera Morrison Temuera Derek Morrison (born 26 December 1960) is a New Zealand actor and Singer who first gained recognition for his role as Dr. Hone Ropata on the soap opera ''Shortland Street''. He gained critical acclaim for his starring role as Jake "The ...
as
Abin Sur Abin Sur is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He was a member of the Green Lantern Corps and is best known as the predecessor of Green Lantern Hal Jordan, whom Abin Sur's power ring chose as his replacement. Aft ...
:
A Green Lantern who crash lands on Earth and recruits Hal Jordan as his replacement. Morrison said it took four to five hours to put on the
prosthetic In medicine, a prosthesis (plural: prostheses; from grc, πρόσθεσις, prósthesis, addition, application, attachment), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through trau ...
makeup for the character. About filming with Ryan Reynolds, Morrison commented, "We did the whole scene together where I give him the ring, our suits are CGI so we had these grey suits with things on them so it was cool and working with Martin Campbell again was great too". *
Geoffrey Rush Geoffrey Roy Rush (born 6 July 1951) is an Australian actor. He is known for his Eccentricity (behavior), eccentric leading man roles on stage and screen. He is among 24 people who have won the Triple Crown of Acting, having received an Academy ...
as the voice of Tomar-Re:
A bird-beaked member of the Green Lantern Corps who teaches Hal Jordan how to use his cosmic powers. Rush stated he was not initially familiar with Green Lantern but was drawn to the part after seeing the concept art explaining, "When I got the offer for it I said, 'Haven't they made that film?' They said, 'No, it's a completely computer-generated character.' I saw the artwork and I said, I would love to be that guy. Because I had voiced an owl in '' Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole'' and I'd voiced a pelican in ''
Finding Nemo ''Finding Nemo'' is a 2003 American computer-animated comedy-drama adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Directed by Andrew Stanton with co-direction by Lee Unkrich, the screenplay was writ ...
'' and I thought I could really improve on that now by being half-bird, half-fish, part lizard. You don't get to do that in a live-action film." Rush compared the role to previous roles where he played a mentoring figure, "You could say that I've mentored
Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". El ...
as ir FrancisWalsingham, and eonTrotsky has mentored
Frida Kahlo Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón (; 6 July 1907 – 13 July 1954) was a Mexican painter known for her many portraits, self-portraits, and works inspired by the nature and artifacts of Mexico. Inspired by the country's popular culture, ...
and now Tomar Re is going to mentor Hal Jordan, and I was sort of mentoring
King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of Ind ...
in ''
The King's Speech ''The King's Speech'' is a 2010 British historical drama film directed by Tom Hooper and written by David Seidler. Colin Firth plays the future King George VI who, to cope with a stammer, sees Lionel Logue, an Australian speech and language ...
''. But I can't imagine Tomar Re setting up an office on
Harley Street Harley Street is a street in Marylebone, Central London, which has, since the 19th century housed a large number of private specialists in medicine and surgery. It was named after Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer.< ...
in London. They're all very different people to me, but there is a kind of theme I suppose". *
Michael Clarke Duncan Michael Clarke Duncan (December 10, 1957September 3, 2012) was an American actor. He was best known for his breakout role as John Coffey in '' The Green Mile'' (1999), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor a ...
as the voice of
Kilowog Kilowog is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character is a member of the Green Lantern Corps. The character appeared in the 2011 ''Green Lantern'' film with his voice provided by actor Michael Clarke Dunca ...
:
A
drill sergeant A drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer in the armed forces, fire department, or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. Foot drill, military step, and marching are typically taught by drill instructors. Australia A ...
trainer of new recruits for the Green Lantern Corps. About the character, Duncan, a fan of the comic book, stated, "He's a real type of tough guy who knows everything, and actually in one of the comic books he and
Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
fought to a tie". *
Taika Waititi Taika David Cohen (born 16 August 1975), known professionally as Taika Waititi ( ), is a New Zealand filmmaker, actor, and comedian. He is a recipient of an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Grammy Award, and has received two nominations at t ...
as
Thomas Kalmaku Thomas "Pieface" Kalmaku is a fictional character, a supporting character associated with Green Lantern in comic books published by DC Comics. He was created by writer John Broome and penciler Gil Kane. Fictional character biography Thomas Kal ...
:
An
Inuit Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories ...
engineer at Ferris Aircraft. Waititi said he was cast after a Warner Bros. casting agent saw his performance in ''
Boy A boy is a young male human. The term is commonly used for a child or an adolescent. When a male human reaches adulthood, he is described as a man. Definition, etymology, and use According to the ''Merriam-Webster Dictionary'', a boy is "a ...
'', which he also wrote and directed. Waititi—who has a Jewish mother and
Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
father—says the production "had an opening for a role in the film for someone who wasn't, I don't
now Now most commonly refers to the present time. Now, NOW, or The Now may also refer to: Organizations * Natal Organisation of Women, a South African women's organization * National Organization for Women, an American feminist organization * Now ...
not white or not black." *
Clancy Brown Clarence John "Clancy" Brown III (born January 5, 1959) is an American actor. Prolific in film and television since the 1980s, Brown is often cast in villainous and authoritative roles. Brown's film roles include Viking Lofgren in ''Bad Boys'' ...
as the voice of
Parallax Parallax is a displacement or difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight and is measured by the angle or semi-angle of inclination between those two lines. Due to foreshortening, nearby objects ...
:
An entity made up of the yellow energy of fear, Parallax was imprisoned by Abin Sur after breaking into the physical plane by possessing the body of a former Guardian of the Universe. Additionally,
Jon Tenney Jonathan Frederick Tenney (born December 16, 1961) is an American actor. He played Special Agent Fritz Howard in TNT's ''The Closer'' and continued in its spinoff '' Major Crimes''. Early life Tenney was born in Princeton, New Jersey. His mother, ...
plays Martin Jordan, Hal Jordan's father;
Jay O. Sanders Jay Olcutt Sanders (born April 16, 1953) is an American film, theatre and television actor and playwright. He frequently appears in plays off-Broadway at The Public Theatre. Early life and education Sanders was born on April 16, 1953 in Austin, ...
portrays Carl Ferris, an aircraft designer, and father of Carol Ferris;
Mike Doyle Michael, Mick or Mike Doyle may refer to: Politics * Michael Doyle (Irish politician), Irish Farmers' Party politician from Wexford, TD from 1922 to 1927 *Michael Doyle, alleged member of the Molly Maguires *Mike Doyle (American politician) (born ...
was cast as Jack Jordan, Hal Jordan's older brother; and Nick Jandl was cast as Jim Jordan, Hal Jordan's younger brother.


Production


Development

In early 1997,
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
approached
cult film A cult film or cult movie, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase which forms an elaborate subculture, members of which engage ...
maker and comic book writer
Kevin Smith Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American filmmaker, actor, comedian, comic book writer, author, YouTuber, and podcaster. He came to prominence with the low-budget comedy buddy film ''Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, co ...
, who had then just finished writing '' Superman Lives'', to script a ''Green Lantern'' film. Smith turned down the offer, believing there were more suitable candidates to make a ''Green Lantern'' film. At one point,
Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, Black comedy, dark humor, Nonlinear narrative, non-lin ...
was offered the chance to write and direct. Warner also considered the property as an action comedy; by 2004,
Robert Smigel Robert Smigel (born February 7, 1960) is an American actor, comedian, writer, director, producer, and puppeteer, known for his ''Saturday Night Live'' " TV Funhouse" cartoon shorts and as the puppeteer and voice behind Triumph the Insult Comic D ...
had completed a script which was set to star
Jack Black Thomas Jacob Black (born August 28, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is known for his acting roles in the films '' High Fidelity'' (2000), ''Shallow Hal'' (2001), ''Orange County'' (2002), '' School of Rock'' (2003), ''E ...
in the lead role. However, the studio dropped the comedy idea following poor fan reaction from the Internet.
David S. Goyer David Samuel Goyer (born December 22, 1965) is an American filmmaker, novelist and comic book writer. He is best known for writing the screenplays for several superhero films, including ''Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (film), Nick Fury: Agent ...
was offered the chance to write and direct either a Green Lantern or Flash film after Warner Bros. was impressed with his screenplay for ''
Batman Begins ''Batman Begins'' is a 2005 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan and written by Nolan and David S. Goyer. The film is based on the DC Comics character Batman, it stars Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne / Batman, with Michael Caine, Liam ...
'', but he opted to direct the latter. Actor-writer
Corey Reynolds Corey Reynolds (born July 3, 1974) is an American actor known for originating the role of Seaweed in the Broadway adaptation of ''Hairspray'', and for the TNT crime show ''The Closer''. Early life and career Reynolds was born in Richmond, Virgin ...
, a comic book fan of the John Stewart character, pitched Warner an idea for a trilogy, with him starring as John Stewart and performing screenwriting duties. Reynolds intended to introduce
Hal Jordan Harold "Hal" Jordan, one of the characters known as Green Lantern, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created in 1959 by writer John Broome and artist Gil Kane, and first appeared in '' ...
, the
Green Lantern Corps Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic law enforcement organization appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians, a race of immortals residin ...
, and
Justice League The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived ...
in possible sequels. He finished the script for ''Green Lantern: Birth of a Hero'' in June 2007, receiving positive feedback from Warner Bros. with a potential 2010 release date. However, the studio abandoned Reynolds' concept, and in October 2007,
Greg Berlanti Gregory Berlanti (born May 24, 1972) is an American screenwriter, producer and director of film and television. He is known for his work on the television series ''Dawson's Creek'', '' Brothers & Sisters'', ''Everwood'', '' Political Animals'', ...
signed to direct the film and co-write it with comic-book writers Michael Green and
Marc Guggenheim Marc Guggenheim (born September 24, 1970) is an American screenwriter, television producer, comic book writer, and novelist. He is best known as the creator of the television series ''Eli Stone'' (2008–2009), ''Arrow'' (2012– 2020), and ''Lege ...
. A draft of the trio's 2008 script, leaked on the
Internet The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...
, revealed a story that included the hero's origin and included the characters
Carol Ferris Caroline "Carol" Ferris is a fictional character appearing in the . She is one of many characters who has used the name Star Sapphire, and was the long-time love interest of Hal Jordan, the Silver Age Green Lantern. In her role as Star Sapphire ...
,
Kilowog Kilowog is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character is a member of the Green Lantern Corps. The character appeared in the 2011 ''Green Lantern'' film with his voice provided by actor Michael Clarke Dunca ...
,
Sinestro Thaal Sinestro () (or simply Sinestro) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, particularly those featuring Green Lantern. Sinestro is a former Green Lantern Corps member who was dishonorably discharged for abu ...
, and Guy Gardner (comics), Guy Gardner in a cameo appearance, and appeared "to set up Hector Hammond as Hal Jordan's ... first major nemesis...." Shortly afterward, Guggenheim said that the script would contain characterizations inspired by the Denny O'Neil-Neal Adams run on the comic in the 1970s, and Dave Gibbons' work in the early 1980s. He added that he and his co-writers also looked to the 2000s Geoff Johns stories, saying, "It's been interesting because we finished a draft just before [Johns'] 'Green Lantern: Secret Origin, Secret Origin' [story arc] started up. "So I've been reading 'Secret Origin' with a real interest in seeing 'OK, how did Geoff solve this problem?' There are certain elements just for anyone trying to retell Hal's origin for a modern day audience has to address and grapple with. For example, why the hell was Abin Sur, Abin [Sur] flying in a space ship when he's a Green Lantern? You don't ask that question back in the Silver Age of Comic Books, Silver Age, but when you're writing in the Modern Age of Comic Books, Modern Age, you have to answer these things."


Pre-production

By December 2008, the writers had written three drafts of the screenplay and Warner was preparing for pre-production. However, by February 2009 Berlanti was no longer attached to the project and
Martin Campbell Martin Campbell (born 24 October 1943) is a New Zealand film and television director based in the United Kingdom. He is known for having directed ''The Mask of Zorro'' as well as the James Bond in film, James Bond films ''GoldenEye'' and ''Cas ...
entered negotiations to direct. The release date was set as December 2010, before being moved to June 17, 2011. Speaking about the experience in 2016, Berlanti confirmed that he was fired as both director and writer, stating "I had nothing to do with the finished product".
Bradley Cooper Bradley Charles Cooper (born January 5, 1975) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award and two Grammy Awards, in addition to nominations for nine Academy Awards, si ...
,. .
Ryan Reynolds Ryan Rodney Reynolds (born October 23, 1976) is a Canadian-American actor. He is one of the highest-grossing film actors of all time, with a worldwide box-office gross of over  billion. He began his career starring in the Canadian teen ...
,
Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...
, and
Jared Leto Jared Joseph Leto ( ; born December 26, 1971) is an American actor and musician. Known for his method acting in a variety of roles, he has received numerous accolades over a career spanning three decades, including an Academy Award and a Golde ...
were the producers' top choices for the starring role in July 2009. On July 10, Warner announced that Reynolds had been cast as Hal Jordan/Green Lantern. A website reported on January 7, 2010, that a crew-member had written on her blog that the film was greenlit the day before and that filming would begin in 10 weeks. Also in January,
Blake Lively Blake Ellender Lively ( Brown; born August 25, 1987) is an American actress. Born in Los Angeles, Lively is the daughter of actor Ernie Lively, and made her professional debut in his directorial project ''Sandman'' (1998). She starred as Brid ...
was cast as
Carol Ferris Caroline "Carol" Ferris is a fictional character appearing in the . She is one of many characters who has used the name Star Sapphire, and was the long-time love interest of Hal Jordan, the Silver Age Green Lantern. In her role as Star Sapphire ...
,
Peter Sarsgaard John Peter Sarsgaard (; born March 7, 1971) is an American actor. His first feature role was in '' Dead Man Walking'' in 1995. He then appeared in the 1998 independent films ''Another Day in Paradise'' and ''Desert Blue''. That same year, Sarsga ...
was in negotiations to portray
Hector Hammond Hector Hammond is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics who is primarily an enemy of Green Lantern. Peter Sarsgaard played the role of Hammond in the 2011 film ''Green Lantern''. Publication history Hector Ham ...
,. . and
Mark Strong Mark Strong (born Marco Giuseppe Salussolia; 5 August 1963), is a British actor, best known for his film roles such as Prince Septimus in '' Stardust'' (2007), Archibald in ''RocknRolla'' (2008), Lord Henry Blackwood in ''Sherlock Holmes'' (20 ...
was in negotiations to play
Sinestro Thaal Sinestro () (or simply Sinestro) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, particularly those featuring Green Lantern. Sinestro is a former Green Lantern Corps member who was dishonorably discharged for abu ...
.. . In February,
Tim Robbins Timothy Francis Robbins (born October 16, 1958) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for portraying Andy Dufresne in the film ''The Shawshank Redemption ''(1994), and has won an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards for his role ...
joined the cast as Senator Hammond.. . The following month, New Zealanders
Temuera Morrison Temuera Derek Morrison (born 26 December 1960) is a New Zealand actor and Singer who first gained recognition for his role as Dr. Hone Ropata on the soap opera ''Shortland Street''. He gained critical acclaim for his starring role as Jake "The ...
and
Taika Waititi Taika David Cohen (born 16 August 1975), known professionally as Taika Waititi ( ), is a New Zealand filmmaker, actor, and comedian. He is a recipient of an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Grammy Award, and has received two nominations at t ...
had joined the cast as Abin Sur and Tom Kalmaku, respectively.. .


Filming

With a production budget of $200 million, ''Green Lantern'' was initially scheduled to begin filming in November 2009 at Fox Studios Australia. The start date was pushed back to January 2010, but the production moved to
Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
, where, on March 3, 2010, test footage was filmed in Madisonville, Louisiana, Madisonville involving stunt cars. Principal photography began on March 15, 2010 in New Orleans, which doubled for Coast City, California, a fictional city in DC Comics. Nine days after filming began,
Angela Bassett Angela Evelyn Bassett (born August 16, 1958) is an American actress. She had her breakthrough with her portrayal of singer Tina Turner in the biopic ''What's Love Got to Do with It'' (1993), which garnered her a nomination for the Academy Award ...
joined the cast as Dr.
Amanda Waller Amanda Blake Waller (née White), also known as "the Wall", is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''Legends'' #1 in 1986 and was created by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and ...
, a government agent who is a staple of the DC Comics universe. In April 2010,
Jon Tenney Jonathan Frederick Tenney (born December 16, 1961) is an American actor. He played Special Agent Fritz Howard in TNT's ''The Closer'' and continued in its spinoff '' Major Crimes''. Early life Tenney was born in Princeton, New Jersey. His mother, ...
revealed that he would play Hal Jordan's father, test pilot Martin H. Jordan. Against Campbell's wishes, the film's production head decided to have the sequence of Martin's death in an air crash intercut with Hal plunging in the plane and witnessing the flashbacks coming to him. By June 2010, filming had begun at New Orleans Lakefront Airport. In the same month, it was reported that
Mike Doyle Michael, Mick or Mike Doyle may refer to: Politics * Michael Doyle (Irish politician), Irish Farmers' Party politician from Wexford, TD from 1922 to 1927 *Michael Doyle, alleged member of the Molly Maguires *Mike Doyle (American politician) (born ...
has been cast for the role of Jack Jordan, the older brother of Hal Jordan. In July 2010, it was reported that Ryan Reynolds was injured while shooting scenes for the film, separating his shoulder and was in "lots of pain". While promoting ''Deadpool (film), Deadpool'' (in which Reynolds portrays another famous Deadpool, comic book superhero) in 2016, Reynolds said that filming ''Green Lantern'' itself had been frustrating, "You really need a visionary behind a movie like that, but it was the classic studio story: "We have a poster, but we don't have a script or know what we want; let's start shooting!" In an exclusive interview with ''ScreenRant'' in 2021, Campbell reflected that he should not have directed the film after all and admitted responsibility for the film "not working out". Comparing to how he saw all ''James Bond'' films before directing '' Casino Royale'', Campbell acknowledged that superheroes movies were never his "cup of tea".


Post-production

Geoff Johns confirmed that the film had ended principal photography on August 6, 2010 and entered post-production. In an interview with ''MTV News'', director Martin Campbell was asked about the film's effects-heavy epic scale and commented "It's daunting, just the process, (there are) something like 1,300 visual shots, it's mind-blowing, quite honestly." When asked about the constructs created from the power ring (DC Comics), power rings, Campbell stated "One of the nice things is, we'll all sit down and say, 'Well, what are we going to do here?' Really, it's as much as your imagination can go to make the constructs." The studio also confirmed that the film would have a 3D film, 3D release. In January 2011, it was reported that ''Green Lantern'' had begun re-shoots for key scenes at Warner Bros. Studios in Los Angeles, California. In March 2011 it was reported that
Geoffrey Rush Geoffrey Roy Rush (born 6 July 1951) is an Australian actor. He is known for his Eccentricity (behavior), eccentric leading man roles on stage and screen. He is among 24 people who have won the Triple Crown of Acting, having received an Academy ...
had joined the cast as the voice of the Computer-generated imagery, CGI-created character, Tomar-Re. In April 2011,
Michael Clarke Duncan Michael Clarke Duncan (December 10, 1957September 3, 2012) was an American actor. He was best known for his breakout role as John Coffey in '' The Green Mile'' (1999), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor a ...
entered negotiations to voice
Kilowog Kilowog is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character is a member of the Green Lantern Corps. The character appeared in the 2011 ''Green Lantern'' film with his voice provided by actor Michael Clarke Dunca ...
.. . Also in April it was reported that Warner Bros. raised the visual effects budget by $9 million and hired additional visual effects studios to bolster the ranks of the team that had been working overtime to meet the film's June 17 launch.


Music

The soundtrack was released in stores on June 14, 2011. The soundtrack was composed by James Newton Howard, who also worked on the other Warner Bros./DC Comics-based films ''
Batman Begins ''Batman Begins'' is a 2005 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan and written by Nolan and David S. Goyer. The film is based on the DC Comics character Batman, it stars Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne / Batman, with Michael Caine, Liam ...
'' and ''The Dark Knight (film), The Dark Knight'' with Hans Zimmer. The soundtrack was published by WaterTower Music.


Release


Theatrical

The Premiere, world premiere of ''Green Lantern'' took place on June 15, 2011 at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood, California, and was released in North America and the UK two days later on June 17.


Home media

''Green Lantern'' was released on DVD-Video, DVD and Blu-ray on October 14, 2011. The Blu-ray release includes an extended cut, which adds an extra nine minutes of footage to the running time, totaling 123 minutes.


Marketing

Marketing and promotion of the film cost $100 million. The first footage of the film was shown at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con. The footage was widely released online in November 2010 with thirty seconds of footage airing the following day on ''Entertainment Tonight''. The first full theatrical trailer for the film was shown before screenings of ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1'' and became available online in November 2010. This initial trailer was met with a poor reception from fans and, as a result, the film's marketing campaign was delayed. Sue Kroll, the studio's worldwide marketing president stated, "Part of the reason the response to the first trailer was lukewarm was that the big-scale sequences weren't ready to show, and we suffered for it. We can't afford to do that again." In April Warner Bros. debuted nine minutes of footage at the 2011 WonderCon in San Francisco. ''The Hollywood Reporter'' reported that the footage wowed the audience. A four-minute cut of the WonderCon footage was later released online.


Animation

In March 2010, ''Comics Continuum'' reported that an animated ''Green Lantern'' film was in the works at Warner Bros. Animation and would be part of a direct-to-video project that was timed for release of the live-action ''Green Lantern'' movie in the summer of 2011. The Green Lantern animated project would likely take a look at the origins of the Green Lantern Corps, including the first ring wielders. In an interview with Bruce Timm, the producer revealed that a sequel to the Green Lantern: First Flight, ''Green Lantern'' animated movie had been discussed but canceled because of the picture not achieving the immediate success that they had hoped for. However, Timm did hope the live-action film would renew interest in a sequel. The animated movie entitled ''Green Lantern: Emerald Knights'' was officially announced in June 2010 instead.


Comics

DC Entertainment began releasing a series of ''Green Lantern Movie Prequel'' comics the week before the film was released, covering the lives of the characters before the events of the film, written by members of the film's production team. Five comics were made, covering Tomar-Re by Marc Guggenheim, Kilowog by Peter J. Tomasi, Abin Sur by Michael Green, Hal Jordan by Greg Berlanti and Sinestro by Michael Goldenberg and Geoff Johns. A free excerpt of the Sinestro prequel comic was released online as "Secret Origin of the Green Lantern Corps #1" two days before the release of the film.


Roller coaster

Six Flags debuted two roller coasters named Green Lantern at Green Lantern (Six Flags Great Adventure), Great Adventure and Green Lantern: First Flight (Six Flags Magic Mountain), Magic Mountain in 2011 to coincide with the film's release. A third ride, Green Lantern Coaster, also opened in November of the same year at Warner Bros. Movie World in Australia, although this ride was more based on the original comic.


Video game

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Warner Bros. Interactive produced a tie-in video game, ''Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters'', for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 by Double Helix Games, with versions for the Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo 3DS by Griptonite Games.


Reception


Box office

''Green Lantern'' opened on Friday, June 17, 2011 in North America, earning $3.4 million in 1,180 midnight runs. The film went on to gross $21.4 million its opening day, but fell 22% on Saturday for a weekend total of $53.2 million, earning it the No. 1 spot. In its second weekend, ''Green Lantern'' dropped into third place behind ''Cars 2'' and ''Bad Teacher'', experiencing a 66.1% decline, which was the largest second-weekend decline for a superhero film in 2011. ''Green Lantern'' grossed $116.6 million in the U.S. and Canada, as well as $103.3 million internationally, bringing its worldwide total to $219.9 million. Many industry analysts felt that ''Green Lantern'' "failed to perform to expectations". ''The Hollywood Reporter'' speculated that ''Green Lantern'' needed to make approximately $500 million to be considered financially solid. Some publications listed the losses for the studio as high as $75 million.


Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of based on reviews and an average rating of . The site's critical consensus reads, "Noisy, overproduced, and thinly written, ''Green Lantern'' squanders an impressive budget and decades of comics mythology." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 39 out of 100 based on 39 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale. Justin Chang of ''Variety (magazine), Variety'' gave ''Green Lantern'' a mixed review, stating, "Martin Campbell's visually lavish sci-fi adventure is a highly unstable alloy of the serious, the goofy and the downright derivative." Manohla Dargis of ''The New York Times'' wrote, "''Green Lantern'' is bad. This despite Ryan Reynolds's dazzling dentistry, hard-body physique and earnest efforts, and the support of fine performers like Peter Sarsgaard ... Mark Strong ... and Angela Bassett". Christy Lemire of the Associated Press called it a "joyless amalgamation of expository dialogue and special effects that aren't especially special." Roger Ebert of the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' had mixed feelings, stating, "''Green Lantern'' does not intend to be plausible. It intends to be a sound-and-light show, assaulting the audience with sensational special effects. If that's what you want, that's what you get." British newspaper ''The Daily Telegraph'' named ''Green Lantern'' one of the ten worst films of 2011. Todd McCarthy of ''The Hollywood Reporter'' gave it a positive review, saying the film "serves up all the requisite elements with enough self-deprecating humor to suggest it doesn't take itself too seriously". Reviewer Leonard Maltin felt that "the film offers a dazzling array of visual effects, a likable hero, a beautiful leading lady, a colorful villain, and a good backstory. It also doesn't take itself too seriously." Kenneth Turan of the ''Los Angeles Times'' wrote, "More science-fiction space opera than superhero epic, it works in fits and starts as its disparate parts go in and out of effectiveness, but the professionalism of the production make it watchable in a comic book kind of way".


Accolades


Future


Cancelled sequel

In 2010, director Martin Campbell confirmed the possibility of a ''Green Lantern'' trilogy.
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
originally planned on ''Green Lantern'' being the first entry of a new DC film series, and commissioned a script for a sequel from Greg Berlanti, Michael Green, and Marc Guggenheim while filming for the first film was underway. In August 2010, Michael Goldenberg was still attached to write the screenplay, based on the sequel treatment. The scene in the film's end credits showing a resurgence of the Sinestro Corps, yellow power ring of fear, with
Sinestro Thaal Sinestro () (or simply Sinestro) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, particularly those featuring Green Lantern. Sinestro is a former Green Lantern Corps member who was dishonorably discharged for abu ...
becoming corrupted by its dark power, teased the planned sequel.. . In September 2011, Warner Bros., dismayed by the film's negative reviews and disappointing box office run, abandoned plans for sequels.


Reboot

In June 2013,
David S. Goyer David Samuel Goyer (born December 22, 1965) is an American filmmaker, novelist and comic book writer. He is best known for writing the screenplays for several superhero films, including ''Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (film), Nick Fury: Agent ...
confirmed that '' Man of Steel'' is the first film in the
DC Extended Universe The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films and television series produced by DC Studios and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that ...
. This confirmed that should the Green Lantern property be featured in an upcoming DC film, it will be a rebooted version. Later that year Goyer stated that he had interest in making a new feature film based on the titular character. In July 2015, Warner Bros. announced plans to release a solo Green Lantern film titled ''Green Lantern Corps'', with an original release date scheduled for June 19, 2020. The film will be an installment in the DC Extended Universe. Hal Jordan and John Stewart will reportedly be the Green Lanterns focused on in the film. In January 2016, it was reported that Goyer and Justin Rhodes will be writing the film's script and will also produce the film, with Geoff Johns and Jon Berg as executive producers. In November 2019, Johns was expected to deliver his script to Warner Bros. by the end of the year. In March 2021, after the release of ''Zack Snyder's Justice League'', the director's cut of ''Justice League (film), Justice League'', Zack Snyder revealed that a scrapped idea for the film had Batman meeting up with the Green Lantern Corps, with Ryan Reynolds appearing as an "additional lantern... to fill out the corps a bit." Snyder never spoke with Reynolds about this, however.


Television series

A 10 one-hour episodic Green Lantern television series separate from the film is currently in development for HBO Max from
Marc Guggenheim Marc Guggenheim (born September 24, 1970) is an American screenwriter, television producer, comic book writer, and novelist. He is best known as the creator of the television series ''Eli Stone'' (2008–2009), ''Arrow'' (2012– 2020), and ''Lege ...
and Seth Grahame-Smith with Berlanti Productions producing the series. The series will focus on the Guy Gardner (character), Guy Gardner, Jessica Cruz, Simon Baz, and Alan Scott versions of Green Lantern alongside Sinestro and Kilowog.


Arrowverse

The Arrowverse crossover (fiction), crossover event "Crisis on Infinite Earths (Arrowverse), Crisis on Infinite Earths" establishes that the 2011 film version of ''Green Lantern'' takes place on the world of Earth-12.


In popular culture

The disappointing performance of the film is occasionally a target of mockery from superhero-related comedies, including by Ryan Reynolds and DC themselves. The 2016 film ''Deadpool (film), Deadpool'', which stars Reynolds as the titular character, refers to the film in two scenes: the opening scene which features a drawing of Green Lantern, and a later scene where Reynolds' character (who has the ability to break the fourth wall) insists that his suit will not be "green or animated". In the film's Deadpool 2, sequel, there is a post-credits scene in which Deadpool travels back in time to shoot Reynolds before he can make the film. Before that, in a 2018 advertising campaign for ''Deadpool 2'' featuring David Beckham, Ryan Reynolds (dressed as Deadpool) is seen apologizing for Reynolds' critical and commercial flops, including ''Green Lantern'', ''R.I.P.D.'', ''Self/less'' and ''Blade: Trinity''. The DC animated film ''Teen Titans Go! To the Movies'' also makes a reference to Green Lantern's disappointing film. In a promotion video for ''Free Guy'' in 2019, Ryan Reynolds and Taika Waititi, who co-starred in both movies, jokingly denied that they had ever heard of ''Green Lantern''.


References


External links

* * * * * {{Greg Berlanti 2011 films 2011 3D films 2011 science fiction films 2011 science fiction action films 2010s superhero films American coming-of-age films American science fantasy films American science fiction action films 2010s English-language films Films directed by Martin Campbell Films produced by Greg Berlanti Films produced by Donald De Line Films produced by Geoff Johns Films scored by James Newton Howard Films set in California Films set on fictional planets Films shot in New Orleans Films about orphans Films about brothers Films about families American films about revenge Films about terrorism Green Lantern films Patricide in fiction Films using motion capture Films with screenplays by Greg Berlanti Films with screenplays by Michael Goldenberg Warner Bros. films Films set in 1993 Films set in 2011 Films with screenplays by Michael Green (writer) Films adapted into comics 2010s American films Films based on DC Comics