Television has proved itself to be fertile ground for comic book adaptations; the serialized format better emulates the storytelling style of comics than movies do, and as such, several popular comics have found their way to the small screen and established themselves as some of the most popular shows on TV. From “The Walking Dead” and “The Flash” to “Daredevil” and “Preacher,” the established comic book fan base has proven itself force
One of these shows, “Preacher,” is one of AMC’s biggest hits. Adapted from the Vertigo comic series written by Garth Ennis, the series is a major departure for executive producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, known more for weed humor than the sardonic, gritty tone of “Preacher.” Now, Rogen and Goldberg have set their sights on another hyperviolent, hypersexualized Ennis comic, “The Boys,” to premiere on Amazon.
‘The Boys’ is set in a world where superheroes are real and exist as major celebrities; however, because of this status, most of them are corrupt and endanger the world on a regular basis. The titular group is a superpowered CIA squad that is tasked with policing these superheroes through grit and violence. It seems as though nearly every non-Marvel or DC superhero show in development promises a fresh, subversive take on the genre, but the original comic (which was first published in 2006) was one of the first properties to try this approach.
You can watch the trailer below.
The series will star Karl Urban as Billy Butcher, Simon Pegg, who was announced last minute as a surprise at New York Comic-Con, Elisabeth Shue as Madelyn Stillwell, Erin Moriarty as Annie January (also known as Starlight), Antony Starr as The Homelander, Chace Crawford as The Deep, and Jennifer Esposito as CIA Agent Susan Raynor, with “Black Mirror” and “10 Cloverfield Lane” director Dan Trachtenberg taking the helm on the pilot.
‘The Boys’ will premiere on Amazon sometime in 2019.