Who are Dead Boy Detectives? Origin explored as DC announces HBO Max series

HBO Max has previously given us some of the greatest DC movies. The streamer is bringing an eight-episode spooky series based on Dead Boy Detectives. The upcoming TV show brings Emmy Award nominee Steve Yockey as the series's pilot episode writer and showrunner.

Apart from this, Steve will also get involved as an executive producer, alongside Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and Jeremy Carver.

Moreover, Lee Toland Krieger will be seen directing the pilot episode and working as the executive producer on the pilot alongside David Madden. The series will surely be a fun-packed supernatural detective series from Warner Bros. Pictures.

Dead Boy Detectives will star Jayden Revri and George Rexstrew in the lead roles as the ghosts of two dead British boys, Charles Rowland and Edwin Paine. Kassius Nelson will portray the two dead boy's alive friend, Crystal Palace.

As per the sources, HBO's head of original content, Sarah Aubrey, while talking about the spooky project, stated:

“We are excited to be expanding further into the DC Universe with Steve, Jeremy and the Berlanti team with this thrilling new spin on a detective series. We were fascinated by the world of the Dead Boy Detectives that Steve and Jeremy first introduced in Doom Patrol, and cannot wait to follow the supernatural sleuths in the lurid mysteries to come.”

In continuation to this, Yockey added that she was obsessed with the comic and how everyone involved in the project had encouraged her to work.

There are a lot of things about the project to be excited about. Also, there is a chance that soon, we will get to hear about the production being started.

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Exploring the origin of Dead Boy Detectives before the DC's series drops

Dead Boy Detectives mainly revolves around two characters, Edwin Paine and Charles Rowland. After being murdered at his boarding school, Edwin Paine went to Hell, where an unseen entity stalked him. Soon, the souls escaped Hell, making it empty. Later, the boarding school was taken over by the students' souls and past teachers who escaped Hell.

Dead Boy Detectives features the story of Charles Rowland and Edwin Paine (Image via DC)

At the time, Charles Rowland, the only living student, was left behind as their fellow students went home for vacation. However, he was taken care of by some of the teachers at the school. Unfortunately, all the teachers became victims and were killed one by one. Eventually, Rowland couldn't make it either.

Rowland, being a ghost, decided to solve mysteries with the help of his fellow spirit, Edwin Paine. For this, they studied many detective books at the student's library and watched thriller movies. At times, they were supported by their living friend, Crystal Palace.

Interestingly, DC initially created Edwin Paine and Charles Rowland for the Sandman comic books, and they first appeared in Sandman Vol 2 #25 in April 1991. It would be interesting to see these characters come back for new adventures.