Jackie Earl Haley Is NOT in Green Lantern despite earlier reports!

Director MartinCampbell confirms Haley’s lack of involvement to MTV with a new casting announcement: Mark Strong, is in negotiations to play Sinestro.  Look for Campbell’s comments on Strong, Haley, and the inclusion of the comic characters Kilowog, Tomar-Re, and Abin Sur after the jump.

On Strong’s character likeness:

“In fact, we’re in negotiations with Mark Strong to play Sinestro. He’s not only a wonderful actor, but he looks like Sinestro. If you look up old pictures of Sinestro, he’s very like him.”

On the Jackie Earl Haley rumor:

“The Jackie Earle Haley thing, somebody told me about it this morning; I had never heard it before in my life.”

On the appearances of characters from the comics:

“Well, Kilowog will be [in it]. Tomar-Re is in it. Sinestro is in it. Abin Sur is in it. All the origin people. Carol [Ferris], of course, who will be played by Blake Lively. All the main characters are there, and it’s a complex story. The origin story of Green Lantern is complex, probably one of the most complex, which makes it a challenge to get it right.”

This film adds another potential franchise to Strong’s resume; he was in Sherlock Holmes this winter and will next be seen in Kick-Ass in March, with Pixar’s John Carter of Mars up next on his production schedule.

Thanks to the great folks at Collider.com for the story!