HBO Max has picked up U.S. streaming rights to the 1980s-set AIDS drama “Boys” from Russell T. Davies, the streamer announced on Tuesday.
The five-part period drama “charts the emotional journey of five friends during the 1980s, a decade in which everything changed, most notably with the rise of AIDS,” according to HBO Max. The show’s cast includes Olly Alexander, Nathaniel Curtis, Shaun Dooley, Omari Douglas, Stephen Fry, Neil Patrick Harris, Keeley Hawes, Callum Scott Howells, Tracy Ann Oberman, and Lydia West.
Filming on the project is currently underway, with the series set to debut in the U.K.’s Channel 4 in 2020.
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Davies serves as writer and executive producer on “Boys,” which hails from RED Production Company. Peter Hoar is directing and Phil Collinson serves as producer. RED’s Nicola Shindler also serves as an executive producer on the series.
“It is our delight to be collaborating with the talented Russell T Davies,” said Jeniffer Kim, senior vice president of international originals, HBO Max. “He has crafted a beautiful coming of age story, exploring the excitement of new friendships and self-discovery during a period when there were so many unknowns. Russell’s mastery is so evident throughout and with Nicola’s producing expertise and Ch4’s collaboration, we at HBO Max are thrilled to partner in sharing this moving story.”
Added Davies, “This was an astonishing decade, when a sudden new virus meant life became more stark, vivid and precious than ever before. I’ve carried these stories with me for years, and it’s an honour to find them a home with HBO Max.”
“We’re delighted that Boys has found its US home on HBO Max, and we look forward to sharing this extraordinary story with viewers next year,” Shindler said.
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