Adam McKay May Direct the Garth Ennis Comic THE BOYS

All these years, Funny or Die co-creator Adam McKay has always chosen “funny”: the standouts among his directing resume include a trilogy of Will Ferrell vehicles–Anchorman, Talladega Nights, and Step Brothers–as well as the forthcoming cop comedy The Other Guys (also starring Ferrell, alongside Mark Wahlberg).  Film School Rejects tapped a trusted source, Nightmare on Elm Street director Samuel Bayer (wait, what?), and found out that McKay’s next project may skew more toward “death”.

You see, Bayer had (and in fact still has) his eyes on adapting The Boys, the Garth Ennis comic series which follows a black-ops team (“The Boys”, natch) that keep superheroes in line via intimidation and, if necessary, murder.  Bayer lamented that such lust may be a lost cause, as it sounds like McKay is the lead candidate for the prime gig.  More after the jump:

In Bayer’s own words:

“It’s so funny, I would die to do that comic book [The Boys]. From what I’ve heard from the producers on the movie is that Adam McKay is doing it. He did Anchorman, I guess. The studio is really hot on him  . . . “

As you could probably tell from the headline, I am a big fan of that “He did Anchorman, I guess” declaration; I’d love to see a video of this interview, if only to see the expression attached to that phrase.  If this heresay is valid, it certainly indicates an interesting career path for McKay.  The Other Guys looks as though it will dive head first into action-comedy territory, but “comedy” is still the dominant half of that hyphenate.  Perhaps The Boys is more overtly comedic than I’m giving it credit for–let’s turn to a richer plot synopsis for insight:

“In a world where costumed heroes soar through the sky and masked vigilantes prowl the night, someone’s got to make sure the ‘supes’ don’t get out of line. And someone will! Billy Butcher, Wee Hughie, Mother’s Milk, The Frenchman, and The Female are The Boys: A CIA-backed team of very dangerous people, each one dedicated to the struggle against the most dangerous force on Earth – superpower! Some superheroes have to be watched. Some have to be controlled. And some of them, sometimes, need to be taken out of the picture. That’s when you call in The Boys!”

To be sure, it sounds very funny (“The Female”: ha!), but darkly so compared to the anarchic McKay/Ferrell brand we’re accustomed to.  But hey, as long as we’re discussing where directors go after they’ve coached Will Ferrell, you know how the old saying goes: “Show me a man who directed the silly (yet heartfelt) family comedy Elf, and I’ll show you the man who gave us the action-packed, deliriously fun Iron Man.”

If The Boys give McKay a chance to expand his directorial boundaries (or “Favreau,” to coin a phrase), count me in.  Still, as there’s no official deal public as of this writing, I’m more than content with the promise of the Ferrell/Wahlberg comedy duo in August’s The Other Guys.