Adam McKay Says 'The Boys' Is Back On At Paramount

Despite a successful run over at Columbia directing "Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby," "Step Brothers" and "The Other Guys," that wasn't enough for Sony to get on board for Adam McKay's adaptation of the comic book "The Boys." The studio axed development on the movie back in February, and it's not entirely difficult to see why. The ultra violent work by Garth Ennis is definitely a major gear change from the comedies McKay is known for, but it appears another studio is throwing their hat in the ring.

McKay recently answered a fan query about the project on Twitter, revealing: "Actually paramount picked it up and we're still developing." Whether or not the studio will actually get this one out of the gate remains to be seen, but they are certainly eager to keep McKay happy, as he is helming "Anchorman 2" for them. To refresh your memory, "The Boys" follows a team of government grunts keeping tabs on the reckless behavior of superheroes, and McKay had previously teased high ambitions for the casting.

In the spring of 2011, with the first draft of the script apparently about two weeks away from being completed, McKay said, "Everyone knows Simon Pegg can take Hughie if he wants." As fans of the comic know, Ennis based the character of Wee Hughie Green, a civilian drafted into the group after his girlfriend is killed by a superhero, on Pegg, though at 42 years old, the actor might be aging out of the role. But that's not all. "I really like the idea of Russell Crowe for the Butcher. We met and had kind of an interesting meeting," he revealed. And certainly with Crowe's profile back on the rise ("Man Of Steel," "The Man With The Iron Fists"), we wouldn't be surprised to see that conversation continue.

So it looks like "The Boys" are back, and let's hope it continues to build momentum. We'd be eager to see what McKay would bring to this kind of material. [via ComicBookMovie]