While we wait for the next season of The Sandman to drop, Neil Gaiman is back to remind us that he and Netflix are the real streaming dream team. Although it’s not exactly a spinoff, The Sandman universe is set to expand with Dead Boy Detectives.
Just like The Sandman, Dead Boy Detectives is also based on a DC Vertigo comic series created by Gaiman. Originally developed as a Max original series, the HBO platform ultimately kicked the project to the curb, leaving Netflix to hungrily pick it up and run with it. Given how much success Gaiman adaptations have found in Prime’s Good Omens and the aforementioned Sandman, there’s a good chance Max will be proven to have made a big mistake in letting Netflix snatch this one up.
Are you investigating the mystery of whether to check out Dead Boy Detectives when it lands on the streamer this spring? Here’s everything you need to know to solve the case.
What is Dead Boy Detectives about?
Honestly, I feel like the title Dead Boy Detectives tells you everything you need to know about this teen supernatural-mystery series, but hey ho, here’s some more info for you.
In the original comics, Dead Boy Detectives follows Charles Rowland and Edwin Payne, two ghosts who haunt a creepy old boarding school. For the screen, the story has been given a much more modern and punkish spin. Now the two life-lorn lads run the Dead Boy Detective Agency, having elected against moving on into the afterlife in order to stay behind on Earth to use their ghostly powers to become private eyes. Or, as Charles puts it in the teaser trailer, “we’re ghosts, and we solve mysteries.” ‘Nuff said.
Who is in the cast of Dead Boy Detectives?
So, here’s the thing, given that Dead Boy Detectives was supposed to be a Max show, Charles and Edwin first made their live-action debuts in an episode of Doom Patrol season 3, in which the duo were played by Sebastian Croft (Heartstopper) and Ty Tennant (House of the Dragon). Presumably these two rising stars were too busy to commit to the Netflix series, though, or else the producers wanted to draw a line in the sand between the two series in terms of continuity, as Charles and Edwin have been recast.
Dead Boy Detectives stars Jayden Revri (Fate: The Winx Saga) and newcomer George Rexstrew as the titular undead investigators The supporting cast includes Kassius Nelson (White Lines) as Crystal Palace, Ruth Connell (Supernatural) as the Night Nurse, and Briana (sister of Kaley) Cuoco as Jenny the Butcher. Recurring and guest stars include Lukas Gage (The White Lotus), Michael Beach (Aquaman), Joshua Colley (Love, Victor), and Lindsey Gort (The Samantha Chronicles).
As for who’s involved behind the scenes, it’s important to note that, as he’s busy with Good Omens, The Sandman, and other projects in the works, Neil Gaiman is not showrunning this series. Instead Dead Boy Detectives was developed for TV by Steve Yockey, creator of The Flight Attendant.
Is there a Dead Boy Detectives trailer?
There is indeed. Netflix unveiled our first look at the series in the form of a teaser trailer released in November 2023. Honestly, it looks to share a lot of vibes with sadly short-lived 2023 series Lockwood and Co. so anyone missing that will definitely want to give this one a go.
When does Dead Boy Detectives hit Netflix?
Your new favorite spiritual sleuths are all set to spook their way onto streaming with an eight-part first season on April 25.
