Directed by Martin Campbell and released in 2011, the film follows Hal Jordan, a cocky test pilot at Ferris Aircraft in Coast City. His life changes when a dying alien hands him a power ring that marks him as a candidate to join an intergalactic peacekeeping corps. Hal must learn to wield a force powered by willpower while his new colleagues question whether he belongs. Meanwhile, an ancient menace begins to spread across the cosmos, and the story also follows scientist Hector Hammond and the leaders of the Corps.

How it was made

The project was first announced in 1997 and stalled for years. Greg Berlanti was hired to write and direct in October 2007, but he was pushed out in February 2009 and replaced by Martin Campbell. The screenplay credits Greg Berlanti, Michael Green, Marc Guggenheim and Michael Goldenberg, who later rewrote the draft. The main cast was chosen between July 2009 and February 2010, and filming ran from March to August 2010 in Louisiana. During post-production the film was converted to 3D, for reasons that remain unexplained. James Newton Howard composed the score, Dion Beebe shot the film and Stuart Baird edited it. Ryan Reynolds leads a cast that includes Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong and Angela Bassett. It was the first DC film since Catwoman (2004) not to involve Legendary Pictures.

Reception and legacy

Warner Bros. opened the film in the United States on June 17, 2011. Critics were largely negative, faulting the script, the uneven tone and the villains, although Reynolds's performance drew praise. It grossed about 237 million dollars against a budget of 200 million. The disappointing result led the studio to abandon plans for a shared universe built on DC characters and to drop a possible sequel. The character later returned in animated projects, and the DC franchise was relaunched with Man of Steel (2013).

Stills

Trailer

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Trivia

A controversial audition

Bradley Cooper auditioned for the lead role but did not get it, reportedly because he kept imitating Christian Bale's Batman voice even after Campbell asked him to tone it down.

An animated Green Lantern

Nathan Fillion, who was also considered for the role, later voiced Hal Jordan in several DC animated projects.

More films by Martin Campbell

Casino Royale2006

GoldenEye1995

The Mask of Zorro1998

The Legend of Zorro2005

Edge of Darkness2010

Vertical Limit2000

Original Cinematopedia text based on Wikipedia (es) and Wikipedia (en) and Wikidata.