Columbia, Moritz call on 'The Boys'

Indie comicbook series follows CIA squad

By TATIANA SIEGEL

Columbia Pictures has acquired the rights to indie comicbook "The Boys" and will develop a feature adaptation along with producer Neal H. Moritz and his Sony-based Original Film banner.

Created by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, the contemporary-set comicbook series follows a CIA squad, known informally as "the boys," whose job is to keep watch on the proliferation of superheroes and, if necessary, intimidate or eliminate them.

Moritz characterized the series as an original take on the superhero genre. "Rather than begin with a romantic idea of superheroes out to save the world, 'The Boys' imagines a world in which superheroes really exist, with all of the flaws that real people have," he said. "The boys are there to make sure that people with superhuman powers don't get out of line."

The comicbook is published by Dynamite Entertainment. Rights were initially optioned by Kickstart Comic Art Studios. Kickstart's Jason Netter and NightSky Entertainment's Ken F. Levin will produce the film with Moritz; Original's Ori Marmur exec produces.

Ennis is co-creator of the bestselling comic series "Preacher," which is being adapted for HBO.