Greg Berlanti developed the superhero drama series Arrow, which started a new era for DC television. The series was not only extremely popular but also spawned several spin-offs, leading to the birth of the Arrowverse. However, the series wasn’t Berlanti’s first foray into the world of DC Comics adaptations.
Berlanti first took a crack at a DC Comics property as a writer for the 2011 film Green Lantern. However, Berlanti was fired from the critically panned film before finding success with Arrow. As a result, Berlanti had one request before tackling the story of the Emerald Archer and bringing it to the small screen. Here is what Berlanti had to say about his involvement in Arrow after his firing from Green Lantern.
Greg Berlanti Reveals His Only Request For Arrow Before Heading Back to the World of DC
Back in 2016, Greg Berlanti had established himself as a prolific television producer, with several hit DC Comics properties under his belt. The string of success started with 2012’s Arrow, which was a darker take on the comic book character Green Arrow, with Stephen Amell in the lead role.
In 2016, The Hollywood Reporter did a profile on Berlanti exploring the highs and lows of his career. At the same time, Berlanti was asked whether he had any hesitations about returning to the world of DC, especially after his terrible experience on Green Lantern.
My only request [when we started on Arrow] was to let us do it our way because I was so heartbroken by what had happened.
Berlanti made the above statement, explaining how he approached the creative side of developing Arrow, following his experience with Green Lantern. Berlanti’s comment implies that he sought a clean slate before starting development on Arrow. He added not getting a chance to deliver a compelling take on characters he loved all his life the first time around left a lasting impact on him.
Greg Berlanti Talks About Getting Fired From the Green Lantern Movie
During the same interview, Berlanti also touched upon 2011’s Green Lantern, which he was attached to as a co-writer and director. The film starring Ryan Reynolds emerged as a major critical and commercial failure. However, Berlanti revealed that he was fired long before the film was shot with a script that he hadn’t written.
I got fired from that movie as a writer and as a director, and yet my name was all over it. I still get blamed for it, even though I had nothing to do with the finished product.
Berlanti made the above statement, distancing himself from the mess of a film. The producer also added that there was another version of the film’s script, which was written by him and Arrow co-creator Marc Guggenheim.
While that version was never used for the film, he was proud of it and stood by his work. Berlanti admitted that at the time he felt like the failure of Green Lantern would hang around him all his life. However, Berlanti scaled new heights with the success of Arrow, and its several spin-offs that established him as one of the most prolific producers in Hollywood.
Arrow and Green Lantern can be streamed on Max.
