As a longtime fan of comic books and superhero stories, I’ve been following the development of “The Boys” with great interest since its inception. Having grown up reading Garth Ennis’ work, I was thrilled when Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg announced their intention to adapt it into a movie back in the early 2000s. I remember feeling a sense of excitement and anticipation, believing that these talented individuals would do justice to the gritty and raw source material.
Previously, prior to Amazon Prime Video’s presentation of “The Boys” with its romantic sausages, Herogasm, and exploding heads, there were plans underway for a movie adaptation featuring characters such as Billy Butcher, Hughie Campbell, and Homelander. Notable actors showed interest in the project, while Adam McKay, director of “The Other Guys” and “Anchorman,” was determined to bring it to life. However, Hollywood remained skeptical, doubting an R-rated, witty comic book film could succeed. (A friendly greeting from “Deadpool,” who’s grateful for the $782.6 million worth of chimichangas he enjoyed in 2016!)
Due to the enormous success of “The Boys” series, even if the storyline deviated from the original comic books, choosing the streaming platform was a shrewd move in the long run. However, it’s natural for us non-Supers to ponder what might have been if “The Boys” had made it to the big screen years ago. Many questions arise, such as: Would Simon Pegg and Russell Crowe have joined the cast as Hughie and Butcher? What budget constraints would filmmakers have faced? And could it have concluded with a satisfying trilogy? Fortunately, we can explore these mysteries by delving into the early 2010s and uncovering details about “The Boys” movie that never came to fruition.
Garth Ennis believed The Boys movie would be easier to make than Preacher
Garth Ennis, a co-creator of “The Boys,” has a knack for crafting outlandish tales. Surprisingly, the chaotic events surrounding Hughie Campbell pale in comparison to some of Ennis’ other creations. One of his most renowned collaborations is “Preacher,” a comic book series he co-created with artist Steve Dillon. In this gripping narrative, preacher Jesse Custer is inhabited by an entity named Genesis, granting him the unique ability to control others. With its darkly humorous storyline that pushes boundaries of blasphemy and a character called Arseface, it’s clear “Preacher” isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
Ennis acknowledged that making a movie based on “The Boys” would be less complex than “Preacher.” At Wizard World 2009 (as reported by FilmBuffOnline), he shared his perspective. He explained that “Preacher” is intricately connected, and removing any piece could cause the story to crumble. With its extensive 2,000-page narrative, nearly all elements depend on one another. In contrast, Ennis noted that “The Boys” could be simplified by focusing on the five main characters and their encounters with superheroes. Although some commentary on history, politics, and corporate culture would need to be sacrificed, it essentially revolves around a team of men confronting superheroes. Unfortunately, neither project resulted in a movie; instead, both were adapted into television shows – “Preacher” ran for four seasons on AMC.
Samuel Bayer expressed interest in directing the film
During the early 2010s, the film industry was brimming with possibilities for movie makers to join the lucrative comic book film bandwagon. The massive success of “The Dark Knight,” which grossed over $1 billion in 2008, paved the way, while Marvel Cinematic Universe presented an enticing blueprint for future prosperity. Consequently, many in the entertainment industry were eager to cash in on this trend – even Samuel Bayer, who helmed the 2010 “A Nightmare on Elm Street” remake under Michael Bay’s direction.
Bayer became well-known for his direction in commercials and music videos, working with artists like Nirvana, David Bowie, and The Rolling Stones. Despite this success, he held a deep affection for comics. In an interview with ShockTillYouDrop.com in 2010, he shared that after directing “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” there were other film projects he considered. He expressed his enthusiasm for a specific comic book, “The Boys,” saying, “This comic is awesome, and I really want to adapt it. It’s about a team of soldiers who take down misbehaving superheroes. It doesn’t get any cooler than that.”
During that period, the film rights for “The Boys” were held by Columbia Pictures. Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay, who had previously written scripts for “Clash of the Titans” and “Destroyer,” were brought on board to pen the script. However, Bayer missed out on the opportunity and instead focused on directing commercials and music videos following “A Nightmare on Elm Street.”
Adam McKay was signed on to direct the film
In the year 2008, Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay were hired to pen the screenplay for “The Boys” movie, which was slated for production under Neal H. Moritz, known for his work on “The Fast and the Furious” franchise. However, finding a director proved to be a lengthy process. Eventually, in August 2010, Adam McKay officially signed on to direct the project.
In an interview with Variety, the filmmaker shared that “The Boys” would be his upcoming project following the completion of “The Other Guys.” He mentioned that the script was almost ready for production, with revisions currently underway. His goal was to finalize the script and potentially start shooting in January after completing any necessary adjustments during the fall.
The January 2011 deadline passed, yet McKay’s involvement with the project continued for several years. At this stage, Seth Rogen, who later produced the Amazon Prime series, had also worked on the script and contributed to its progression. There were concerns that “The Boys” movie was defunct when Columbia Pictures abandoned it in 2012. However, shortly after Columbia’s departure, McKay announced on his social media account (previously Twitter) that Paramount Pictures was considering the project. Despite these promising indications, it turned out that “The Boys” was not among the films that emerged from development limbo.
There was always a hope that Simon Pegg would star as Hughie Campbell
When considering how Hughie from “The Boys” should be visually represented, it’s hard not to picture English actor Simon Pegg as the perfect fit. This resemblance is no coincidence, as confirmed by co-creator Darick Robertson, who drew inspiration from Pegg for the character. It’s a clever move that likely eased the audience into accepting Pegg if he were cast in the TV adaptation, avoiding any controversy or fan protests over recasting the role. However, it remains unclear whether Pegg was ever seriously considered for the part.
I was excited to hear Phil Hay, one of the movie’s co-writers, expressing his uncertainty about Simon Pegg’s potential involvement in our project, but shared the hope that it would come to pass. Similarly, director Adam McKay voiced a similar sentiment when speaking with MTV News. He acknowledged my abilities to portray Hughie if given the chance, yet he was unsure of my availability due to my schedule.
If the project had progressed, it would have been intriguing to discover if Pegg would have received an official offer to portray Wee Hughie in the film adaptation. However, he is now cast as Hugh Campbell Sr. in “The Boys” series instead, a role specifically given to him by showrunner Eric Kripke to maintain the comic book link between Pegg and Hughie.
Rob Corddry wanted in
When rumors swirled about a possible “The Boys” movie in Hollywood, I, along with many other actors and filmmakers, couldn’t contain my enthusiasm. Among them was Rob Corddry, who was basking in the limelight following his successful tenure on “The Daily Show.” After making a name for himself there, he went on to create an impressive body of work that left even the most seasoned performers blushing.
During an interview with “The Flickcast” in March 2010 while promoting Steve Pink’s “Hot Tub Time Machine”, Rob Corddry mentioned his interest in certain roles for future projects. He spontaneously brought up the possibility of a film adaptation of “The Boys” comic books, expressing his enthusiasm by saying, “I recently read a script based on this amazing comic book called ‘The Boys’. I absolutely loved it!”
As a gamer, I can’t disclose the name of the character Corddry was aiming for in that movie, but there’s a good chance he was up for the part of Hughie Campbell. With his likeness matching the comic book portrayal of Wee Hughie, it’s not hard to envision him as a strong candidate. If Simon Pegg, who was originally offered the role, had declined, then Corddry might have stood an even better chance.
Russell Crowe was considered for Billy Butcher
Despite his reservations about being involved with “Gladiator,” which became a massive hit and transformed Russell Crowe into a renowned actor in Hollywood, it was only natural that he received numerous offers for significant roles following its success. Consequently, his name consistently appeared at the top of the list when casting directors looked for leading men. Unsurprisingly, Crowe was a strong contender for the role of Billy Butcher in the upcoming film version of “The Boys.”
Regarding Butcher’s casting in 2011, director Adam McKay shared with MTV News his thoughts: “I’ve had discussions with some people about Russell Crowe as Butcher. We even had an intriguing conversation.” It’s hard to picture Crowe bringing Butcher’s rough and grungy dialogue to life, and a sneak peek of his audition or reading would undoubtedly cause a media frenzy reminiscent of the Kim Kardashian’s infamous derrière photos. Nevertheless, although this casting didn’t come to fruition, another New Zealander, Karl Urban, eventually landed the role instead.
I was disappointed that “The Boys” project didn’t come to fruition for Russell Crowe, but undeterred, I jumped at the opportunity to explore the comic book movie genre in three exciting new projects. In Zack Snyder’s “Man of Steel,” I got to bring Superman’s world to life. With Taika Waititi at the helm, I joined Thor on his latest adventure in “Thor: Love and Thunder.” Lastly, under J.C. Chandor’s direction, I took on the role of Kraven the Hunter in an upcoming film.
The biggest hurdle to The Boys was the budget
“The Boys” storyline is filled with thrilling and superpower-infused scenes. Homelander stands out with his extraordinary abilities such as super strength, heat vision, and flight. Bringing him to life on the silver screen would be quite a challenge, similar to producing Superman but with a darker and malevolent twist. The primary consideration for any film studio or production company is: What will be the significant cost involved?
In an interview with Collider in 2013, screenwriters Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay revealed that the production of “The Boys” movie was closer to beginning than many assumed. However, the primary challenge they encountered was determining an appropriate budget for the project. As Manfredi explained, “We’ve been working on figuring out what the budget will be for this. There are so many elements that go into how much money you can spend and still keep it ‘The Boys’.” Additionally, Hay added that if the budget were set at $5 million, they could make it a hard R-rated film with fewer restrictions.
Back then, R-rated comic book films like “Deadpool” and “Joker” hadn’t yet proven their box office success and profitability to studios. In 2013, the most recent R-rated comic book movies were “Kick-Ass” and “Dredd,” which did not perform well financially. Due to this, no studio executive was willing to invest in an expensive film with heavy CGI for a mature audience (considering merchandising deals like Happy Meals and toy lines). Finding a balance seemed challenging given the source material itself.
The Boys would have been a film trilogy
Creative minds recognized the possibility of bringing “The Boys” to life on the big screen, as it offered an opportunity to challenge conventional superhero clichés and introduce something fresh in the realm of comic book adaptations. According to Rolling Stone, one proposed strategy was to develop a three-part film series, with Adam McKay set to oversee the project. Drafts for the script and animatic demonstrations had been produced as evidence of concept. Nevertheless, the production failed to progress beyond this initial stage.
Darick Robertson, artist and co-creator of “The Boys,” expressed admiration for McKay’s work from the past. He acknowledged that McKay was producing innovative content at the time. However, Robertson believed that the audience wasn’t quite prepared for it in 2008 compared to 2018.
From a devoted fan’s perspective, given the intricate web of storylines woven into the show, a trilogy seems like an ideal choice when taking the source material into account. With so many characters, outlandish plot developments, and unexpected twists, cramming it all into one standalone film would be an insufficient justice to the richness and depth of the content.
Adam McKay said every studio said no to it
I’ve been closely following the development of “The Boys” movie for quite some time now, having been deeply involved in the project for several years. And let me tell you, it’s been a rollercoaster ride. The fact that the film didn’t come to fruition in the end is a source of great disappointment for everyone who was part of it. But among us, none hold this experience as closely as Adam McKay.
He attempted to bring “The Boys” by Garth Ennis to life at one point and presented it to various studios and financing companies in the industry. However, they all responded negatively, saying things like, “It’s too similar to ‘Watchmen'” with a lack of interest. He had created an extravagant pre-visualization reel that showcased superheroes doing drugs, but this only seemed to further confuse them. Eventually, he realized that taking risks on “The Boys” was not an option for anyone at the time, so he made his pitches even more bizarre.
McKay’s observations on “Watchmen” pique interest without being shocking in the slightest. In 2009, Zack Snyder’s “Watchmen” hit theaters as a grittier, more mature interpretation of comic book characters. However, despite garnering attention and amassing followers, it underperformed financially, earning just $185.4 million against a $130 million production cost. Unsurprisingly, this failure deterred studios from investing in “mature” and “superhero” projects for some time, negatively impacting the development of “The Boys.” For further insights into Zack Snyder’s “Watchmen,” check out our comprehensive coverage.
Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg wanted to do the movie originally
Following their successful journey through Hollywood’s rigorous selection process, “The Boys” found new homes with Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and Eric Kripke in 2015. For nearly five years, Kripke devoted his efforts to transforming it into a television show. He ultimately presented his masterpiece to the public in 2019. In an interview on “Hot Ones” in 2022, Rogen shared that they had previously pitched “The Boys” as a movie project with Goldberg, making this their second time collaborating on this property.
Rogen and Goldberg, being avid fans of Garth Ennis’ work, including “Preacher,” eagerly purchased his latest comic, “The Boys,” with the intention of turning it into a film. They shared their idea with producer Neal H. Moritz and Sony, who were all on board and acquired the rights to the property. However, despite Rogen and Goldberg’s initial involvement, they were later excluded from the project for several years.
I wasn’t brought on board to pen or create the content in any capacity. We joked about it as I spoke, since that task had been assigned to others long ago. Over the course of ten years, those individuals managed to botch the project in various ways. Eventually, the mangled mess was returned to us, and we transformed it into the successful TV show you see today.
Could a movie still happen?
A film conclusion.
On the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, Alonso shared: “I’ve attempted, without success, to persuade Eric Kripke that we should conclude our show with a feature film. Specifically, we could end Season 5 on a cliffhanger and then reveal that we’ve been producing this movie since the start of the series.”
As a gamer, I’d put it this way: Antony Starr, who plays Homelander in “The Boys,” joined me in expressing enthusiasm for my idea. He simply said, “I’m in.” Alonso then asked the audience if they liked it and received an outpouring of cheers as a response. Jokingly, he suggested we all flood Shawn Kripke’s X account with messages demanding a film. However, I can’t help but wonder why such a beloved Amazon Prime Video series is coming to an end with Season 5. Stay tuned to uncover the true reason behind “The Boys” saying goodbye.
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2024-07-21 16:31