Damon Lindelof Exits 'Lanterns,' Revs Up New HBO Thriller!

Damon Lindelof has made a notable return to television this year as the co-creator of DC's "Lanterns," an ambitious Green Lantern series that has garnered significant critical and audience acclaim. The show features intergalactic law enforcers Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) investigating a murder on Earth in a style reminiscent of "True Detective." Its success is attributed to the strong chemistry between the two Lanterns and a complex narrative that unveils a far wider and more perilous mystery than initially perceived.

Following the conclusion of "Lanterns," Lindelof will collaborate once again with HBO for his next major project, "The Chain." The network greenlit the series in January, with Lindelof aiming to expand the mythology of Adrian McKinty's New York Times bestselling thriller novel upon which it is based. The project has quickly gained momentum, securing Jodie Comer in May to lead the miniseries adaptation. Comer, fresh from her impactful performance in Danny Boyle and Alex Garland's horror sequel "28 Years Later," will portray Rachel.

Rachel is a divorced suburban mother undergoing cancer treatment who receives devastating news: her daughter has been kidnapped. To secure her daughter's release, Rachel is compelled to enter a morally ambiguous situation, needing to kidnap someone else's child in addition to paying a ransom, thus perpetuating "the chain." The original novel details Rachel's internal struggle as she weighs her options to reunite with her child, eventually prompting her to investigate the origins of this twisted game. While substantial work remains, Comer recently confirmed that production is anticipated to commence in early 2027.

During an interview with Steve Weintraub at the Toronto International Film Festival, following the premiere of her new film "Stuffed," Comer shared her overwhelmingly positive impression of Lindelof's pilot script for "The Chain." Despite being limited in what she could reveal, she recounted: "I've read the pilot, so it's very kind of early days. It’s developed from a book by the same name, but I will say that it was a script that, you know, we got sent quite a lot of scripts, and to sit down with this script and not lift my head off the page, I think I must have read it within 35 minutes. The writing was just so incredible. So, I'm really excited to start the process. I think we start sometime early next year. But yeah, I'm excited about that."

At TIFF, audiences also had the opportunity to see Comer in "Stuffed," a distinctive and macabre musical body horror rom-com. Directed by Theo Rhys in his feature debut, based on his short film of the same name, the movie centers on the unusual relationship between Araminta (Comer), a taxidermist seeking to preserve a human specimen, and Bernie (Harry Melling), a downtrodden factory worker who volunteers himself for her work should he die. What begins as a peculiar arrangement evolves into a surprising and heartfelt romance, exploring profound themes of love, death, and legacy amidst the ghoulish and grotesque. The script was penned by Rhys and Joss Holden-Rea. As of now, "The Chain" does not have an official release date on HBO.