Amazon Officially Orders Spinoff of Hit Show

The world of The Boys is continuing to expand. In late September, Amazon ordered a spinoff of the hit superhero drama focusing on a younger cast of heroes. The original series, which has been a rare breakout hit for Amazon Prime Video, is based on the comic series by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. It is about a group of vain, shallow superheroes overseen by Vaught International and the small band of rebels trying to take them down.

The untitled spinoff will be overseen by Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters, who were the showrunners for ABC and Marvel's Agent Carter, reports The Hollywood Reporter. The duo replaces Craig Rosenberg, who left the show after creative differences with Amazon and series producer Sony Pictures Television. The show is set at a college for young adult superheroes, run by Vought of course. The show is described as an "irreverent, R-rated series that explores the lives of hormonal, competitive superheroes as they put their physical, sexual, and moral boundaries to the test, competing for the best contracts in the best cities."

The cast will feature Jaz Sinclair (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Lizze Broadway (Here and Now), Shane Paul McGhie (Unbelievable), Aimee Carrero (Elena of Avalor), Reina Hardesty (Brockmire) and Maddie Phillips (Teenage Bounty Hunters) as the young heroes. Fazekas and Butters will serve as executive producers, alongside The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who are also executive producers on The Boys, will be executive producers on the new show as well.

In a statement Monday, Kripke praised Fazekas and Butters, who also worked on The X-Files and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. "Michele and Tara are stone-cold geniuses, we're thrilled to have them steer this ship, and grateful to Sony and Amazon for the opportunity," he said. "We love this show and can't wait for you to see it. Also, Baywatch Nights spun-off from Baywatch, and it had vampires. Vampires!"

The Boys was a rare original series success for Amazon, which hasn't had many hit shows recently, aside from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. It features a large ensemble cast, inclding Karl Urban, Anthony Starr, Jack Quaid, Erin Moriarty, Dominique McElligot, Jessie T. Usher, and Chace Crawford. Although the show has earned critical acclaim, its' only Emmy nominations have been in the Creative Arts categories. Season 2 scored nods for its visual effects, sound mixing, and the song "Never Truly Vanish." A third season is in the works.

Amazon is betting big on another major project. The company is developing a series based on J.R.R. Tolkein's The Lord of the Rings books, due out in 2022. The project is expected to lead to more spinoffs and is part of a $250 million deal to secure screen rights to the Middle-Earth properties.

0comments