‘Dead Boy Detectives’ Decamps For Netflix
by Erik Amaya
Will DC Elseworlds all up outside the Warner streaming ecosystem?
According to The Hollywood Reporter, former HBO Max series Dead Boy Detectives is moving to Netflix. The program, based on characters created by Neil Gaiman and Matt Wagner in the pages of The Sandman, centers on “a ghost story that explores loss, grief, and death through the lens of Edwin Payne and Charles Rowland, two dead British teenagers, and their very alive friend, Crystal Palace.” And as the title implies, the dead duo will investigate mysteries as part of their afterlife. George Rexstrew and Jayden Revri star as Edwin and Charles while Kassius Nelson plays Crystal Palace. The characters first appeared in a Season 3 episode of Doom Patrol, but were subsequently recast when Dead Boy Detectives received its series commitment. Ruth Connell, who also appeared that Doom Patrol episode as the Night Nurse, will carry on in that same role. The eight-episode series also stars Briana Cuoco as Jenny the Butcher, Yuyu Kitamura as Niko, and Jenn Lyon as Esther. Steve Yockey serves as showrunner with Doom Patrol‘s Jeremy Carver, Greg Berlanti, and Sarah Schechter join him as executive producers.
Per THR, the series is moving as it does not fit the unified DCU strategy of DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn and could not be marketed by the Warner streaming service until 2024. Moving to Netflix offers more scheduling flexibility. On the creative end, it also suggests the only DC material available on HBO Max in the near future will be those connected to the cinematic universe Gunn is planning. That could lead to some interesting choices for finished programs like Pennyworth, Doom Patrol, and the older Batman and Superman movies.
It remains to be seen just how extensive this latest DC change will go, but it at least suggests television series set outside the DCU will still have a fighting chance.