LANTERNS second teaser tops YouTube May 22

Warner Bros. Discovery’s HBO Max put out the second official teaser for “Lanterns” on May 18, giving the DC series a fresh promotional push less than three months before its scheduled debut. The YouTube upload showed 921,852 views about seven hours after posting when it was captured by web results, while Warner Bros. (youtube.com) Discovery’s pressroom separately listed the same teaser under HBO Max materials dated May 18. The available public evidence supports the core of the story: there was an official second teaser, it was released through HBO Max channels, and it circulated quickly on YouTube in the days that followed. (youtube.com) A social-media post cited by the card said the teaser was the No. 1 trending trailer on YouTube on May 22, but that specific ranking could not be independently confirmed from a stable public YouTube trending archive in the materials reviewed. ### When did the second teaser actually go live? Warner Bros. Discovery’s pressroom dated “Lanterns | Official Teaser 2” to May 18, 2026, and identified it as an HBO Max video asset. (youtube.com) The official YouTube upload also appeared as a recent posting, matching that release window. The May 18 date matters because the social claim in circulation referred to YouTube activity on May 22, which would place the trailer’s reported trending run several days after the official launch rather than at first release. ### What do the official postings say about the show? (youtube.com) HBO Max’s YouTube description used the line “Are you afraid?” and said “Lanterns” premieres August 16 on HBO Max. Warner Bros. Discovery’s pressroom entry carried the same teaser branding and linked it to “Lanterns” season one. The official upload did not, in the material reviewed, include a public claim about YouTube chart placement. (press.wbd.com) That means the teaser’s existence, release date and premiere date are verifiable from company-controlled sources, while the trending-chart claim remains sourced to social posting rather than YouTube documentation captured here. ### What can be verified about the YouTube traction? YouTube search results captured the official teaser at 921,852 views roughly seven hours after posting, indicating rapid early traffic on the platform. Separate YouTube results also showed multiple unofficial reposts, reaction-style uploads and trailer compilations tied to “Lanterns” in the same week, suggesting the clip was being recirculated beyond the main HBO Max channel. (youtube.com) Those secondary uploads are not equivalent to official view counts, but they do show how quickly the teaser spread across trailer, fandom and commentary channels. Several of those videos used “official trailer 2” or similar wording even when they were not posted by HBO Max. (youtube.com) ### Can the May 22 No. 1 trending claim be nailed down? A May 22 social post referenced in the briefing said “Lanterns” was the No. 1 trending trailer on YouTube that day. The post itself was not retrievable in the browser output here, and YouTube’s public-facing search results reviewed for this story did not provide a preserved trending-chart snapshot for May 22. (youtube.com) That leaves the ranking claim short of full independent verification. What is confirmed is that the second teaser was officially released on May 18, was drawing substantial YouTube traffic within hours, and remained central to the show’s marketing push ahead of its premiere. (youtube.com) ### What comes next for “Lanterns”? August 16 is the next fixed date in the campaign. HBO Max’s official teaser description says that is when “Lanterns” premieres, and Warner Bros. Discovery’s pressroom continues to host the teaser as part of the rollout. (youtube.com) (x.com)