Simon Pegg for Wee Hughie or we riot.
Deadline has revealed that Amazon has officially greenlighted the drama series based on Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson's superviolent superhero comic The Boys. The series received an order of eight episodes after getting a script order back in September.
The Boys is described in the article as "In a world where superheroes embrace the darker side of their massive celebrity and fame, The Boys revolves around a group of vigilantes known informally as 'the boys,' who set out to take down corrupt superheroes with no more than blue-collar grit and a willingness to fight dirty."
Supernatural creator Eric Kripke will serve as showrunner and writer. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who helmed the Preacher pilot, are set to direct. Serving as executive producers are Original Film’s Neal Moritz, Pavun Shetty and Ori Marmur; Point Grey’s Rogen, Goldberg and James Weaver; Kripke; as well as Ken Levin and Kickstart’s Jason Netter (Preacher). Ennis and Robertson will serve as co-executive producers.
"In a landscape saturated with superhero shows, The Boys is the next evolution in this popular genre," said Sharon Tal Yguado, Amazon's Head of Event Series. "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."
"We are very happy to have the unique opportunity to produce a second series based on the subversive and innovative world of Garth Ennis," added Chris Parnell, Co-President of Sony Pictures Television Studios. "And we are thankful to Sharon and her team at Amazon for their vision, partnership, and support."
The Boys, which ran for 72 issues and three 6-issue limited series from 2006-2012, was published initially by Wildstorm (#1-6) and then by Dynamite Entertainment. Filled with extreme violence, sexual situations and dark humor, the series began with an Englishman named Billy Butcher who learns of a presidential directive charging the CIA with monitoring all superheroes. He uses the directive to get the backing required to reform "The Boys," a black ops team designed to police the superhero community. Butcher brings together Mother's Milk, the Frenchman, and the Female (of the Species), but the Boys' fifth member, Mallory, refuses to return as his grandkids were murdered due to his involvement with the group. Requiring five in the team, Butcher recruits a Scottish conspiracy theorist named "Wee Hughie" Campbell, whose girlfriend was accidentally killed by A-Train, a reckless member of major superhero team The Seven.
The Boys is slated to begin filming in the spring of 2018 for a 2019 release.