The first series to get greenlit since Amazon Studios had a massive overhaul is a superhero series based on a comic book.
The Boys is coming to Amazon. The comic book from Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson was created by Supernatural creator Eric Kripke and will be directed by the duo of Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, according to Deadline. If you’re a fan of the series Preacher on AMC, you’ll be interested in this superhero series.
Ennis created Preacher and Goldberg and Rogen directed a handful of episodes for that comic book adaptation. Needless to say, this team is experienced and capable of bringing the action and drama from the pages of comic books and seeing it translate to the small screen. Considering superhero shows are in vogue and wildly popular, this show will fall in line with the type of programming that Amazon is expected to pursue in the coming months and year.
Amazon Studios was already under orders from Jeff Bezos to find shows that can have widespread appeal and avoid shows that are too genre-specific. Then, studio head Roy Price and head of comedy and drama Joe Lewis were removed from their jobs which led to a very uncertain future for the video side of Amazon.
Now Amazon is looking to move forward and the announcement that The Boys is happening comes after a nine-year journey for the development team to make it a reality. The original plan was for The Boys to be adapted into a movie and after that fell through, the plan was to make it a TV series at Cinemax.
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The comic ran for 72 issues from 2008-2012 and centered on a group of superheroes known as “the boys” who tap into their dark side and carry out a mission to take down corrupt superheroes and aren’t afraid to get dirty in the process. Expect plenty of pushing-the-envelope violence that Preacher has in its series.
"“In a landscape saturated with superhero shows, The Boys is the next evolution in this popular genre,” said Sharon Tal Yguado, via Deadline. “With Eric, Evan, Seth and Original Film all behind this series, we are excited to adapt this popular comic, from the visionary minds of Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, for television.”"
There is no word yet on an anticipated premiere date or who could be cast for the series, but all of that will come out in time, and we’re excited to be covering this show that could help launch Amazon Video into a better position to compete with Netflix and Hulu.