Seth Rogen working on adaptation of graphic novel The Boys for Amazon

September 11th 2017, 1:42pm

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

So I just did a piece on IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE's Wong Kar-Wai doing a period crime series for Amazon, and in the same article it said that Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg are directing an adaptation of Garth Ennis' dark anti-superhero graphic novel THE BOYS. I felt that focusing on one over the other would be burying the lead, so here we are. Either way, this is all super exciting!

Meanwhile, THE BOYS comic series is about "a world where superheroes exist; however, most of the superheroes in the series' universe are corrupted by their celebrity status and often engage in reckless behavior, compromising the safety of the world. For this reason, a superpowered CIA squad, known informally as "The Boys", is charged with monitoring the superhero community; the name is Butcher's contribution, a reference from his neighborhood that those in power would send "the boys" to handle anyone causing trouble." So basically tough-as-nails dudes taking out asshole superheroes. I can dig it.

I've actually been looking forward to this for awhile, as like Ennis's other seminal work – PREACHER – Hollywood has been trying to get this one off the ground for a long time, with Adam McKay at one point really close to getting it done. However, I'm not disappointed that Rogen and Goldberg are behind this thing, as I've enjoyed their take on PREACHER. Whatever you think of their adaptation choices (and I'm not always keen on everything they change), they at least don't seem like the type to skimp out on the darker and seedier aspects of the source material. This will be especially true since this will be on Amazon instead of basic cable, where AMC will still force some unfortunately pulled punches. Either way, I can't wait1