Remember back in 2011, when Seth Rogen made The Green Hornet and…well, that’s it. Remember when that happened? It turns out that wasn’t the last time the actor/filmmaker would get behind the story of masked crimefighters. It looks like Rogen is currently in the process of adapting the fan favorite Garth Ennis and Patrick Robertson comic book The Boys for a future TV series. So many squeals. So little time.
The Boys, with its too-mature-for-network-TV hyper-violence, is being put together by both Rogen and his creative partner Evan Goldberg, and it’s in the process of being shipped around to different cable networks. And it sounds like they aren’t the only ones that will be developing the project, as BirthMoviesDeath reports that Supernatural creator Eric Kripke, who also created the high-minded Revolution, will be involved in some capacity. Kripke currently pens the comic series Amped for DC Vertigo, so he knows both sides of the coin here.
Taking place in a world full of superheroes and villains that have taken their power and fame to their heads, The Boys centers on the titular team of superpowered C.I.A. agents – including such recognizable names as Wee Hughie, Billy Butcher, Mother’s Milk, The Frenchman, The Female, The Legend and Lieutenant Colonel Greg D. Mallory – whose duty it is to make sure the powered people in the world around them are kept in line. Or else. Those are definitely threatening words in this world, as The Boys is one of the more violent comics out there. Take this particular image as an example.
The Boys was supposed to get the movie treatment a few years ago with Adam McKay involved, but that never happened. Rogen and Goldberg have the advantage here in that they already made themselves familiar with adapting a Garth Ennis comic, as they’re currently in the process of turning Preacher into a series at AMC. That network is certainly a possible home for The Boys, especially if the network is fond of Rogen and Goldberg’s work, and the existence of Arseface on TV means they’re able to show some adult stuff. Still, Wee Hughie is a character meant for pay cable or streaming, as well as one who needs to be played by Simon Pegg.
First published by Wildstorm for 6 issues, The Boys soon moved to Vertigo and ran for 72 issues (plus spinoffs), ending in 2012. It definitely offers enough stories and memorable characters to fill an enjoyable TV world. Here’s hoping someone like Netflix, HBO or Cinemax picks this thing up.
