Neil Gaiman's Dead Boy Detectives is headed to HBO Max

Neil Gaiman
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Dead Boy Detectives, based on the DC characters by Neil Gaiman and Matt Wagner, has been given a series order from HBO Max.

According to Variety, the show is described as a ghost story that "explores loss, grief, and death through the lens of Edwin Payne (George Rexstrew) and Charles Rowland (Jayden Revri), two dead British teenagers, and their very alive friend, Crystal Palace (Kassius Nelson)."

Charles and Edwin made their first appearance back in The Sandman #15 back in 1991 and would go on to appear in several comics and manga-style graphic novels. The duo turns down the chance to pass on to the next life in order to stay on Earth as detectives who investigate crimes involving the supernatural.

The characters popped up in season 3 of HBO Max's Doom Patrol and were originally played by Sebastian Croft and Ty Tennant. A series was announced months later, having been ordered to pilot by HBO Max. 

Ruth Connell is set to reprise her role as the Night Nurse from the season 3 episode Dead Patrol of Doom Patrol. The cast also includes Briana Cuoco as Jenny the Butcher, Yutu Kitamura as Niko, and Jenn Lyon as Esther.

The series was written and created by Steve Yockey, developer of the Kaley Cuoco-led HBO Max black comedy The Flight Attendant.

An adaptation of Gaiman's novel American Gods had a three-season run on Starz,  with a series based on Good Omens airing on Amazon Prime just a few years after. Gaiman's Anansi Boys is currently in production at Amazon, with Netflix planning to adapt The Sandman into a full series.

For more, check out our list of new superhero movies coming your way in 2022 and beyond.

Lauren Milici
Senior Writer, Tv & Film

Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ currently based in the Midwest. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.