Adam McKay‘s planned adaptation of comic book series The Boys has progressed slightly with news that he is close to finishing his first draft of the script, and that he has met with Russell Crowe for one of the leads.
The Boys is an ultra-violent, ultra-dark series created by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson which is set in a world like our own, only with the presence of superpowers. The “Boys” referred to in the title are a CIA-backed group whose job it is to keep superheroes in line, by any means necessary.
Speaking to MTV, McKay revealed that he met with Crowe for the role of Billy Butcher, the sadistic leader of the group. Also in line for a role is Simon Pegg, though that should not come as a surprise as the character of “Wee Hughie” Campbell was modeled on his image. Campbell is recruited into The Boys after his girlfriend is killed by a superhero, and it would appear the only person to decide whether he gets the role is Pegg himself. McKay said this about both:
I’ve sat with some people. I really like the idea of Russell Crowe for [Billy] Butcher. We met and had kind of an interesting meeting. Everyone knows Simon Pegg can take Hughie if he wants. I don’t know what his schedule is like, though.
Yes, superheroes in the media reached saturation point about a year ago, but the premise and stylings of The Boys combined with a Crowe-Pegg dynamic, directed by McKay is still enough to seriously whet the appetite.
Are you a fan of The Boys? What do you think of the potential casting of Crowe and Pegg?