The CW has been trying to turn The Lost Boys into a TV series for several years now, only to run into many creative hurdles along the way. While the most recent decade saw an explosion in the amount of horror-based TV shows available, there was once a time where the pickings were slim on that front. However, one monster who's never had a hard time finding a home on the small screen is the vampire. Dozens of vampire shows have been produced over the years, and among them are some of the most successful horror TV series in history.
The CW itself also knows a thing or two about turning vampire stories into hits, as illustrated by the eight-season run of The Vampire Diaries, as well as the five-season run of its spinoff The Originals. A second Vampire Diaries spinoff, Legacies is currently airing its second season, and that's not even counting the countless vampire episodes of CW flagship drama Supernatural. If there's one network with an expertise in bloodsuckers, it's The CW.
Or at least that would be the logical conclusion. For all its vampiric accolades, The CW has had quite a hard time getting an adaptation of 1987 cult classic The Lost Boys off the ground, for various reasons.
Why The Lost Boys TV Series Is Taking So Long To Release
The CW first decided to develop a Lost Boys TV series in 2016, which in today's extremely fast-paced pop culture arena, feels like a lifetime ago. Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas was shepherding the series for Warner Bros. TV, whose movie arm controls the screen rights. Thomas brought with him this elaborate seven-season plan for The Lost Boys, with each season moving a decade forward in time, and the vampires themselves as the only recurring characters. It's not entirely clear what about that extravagant pitch ultimately turned off CW executives, but the network opted not to order a pilot for The Lost Boys for the 2016-2017 TV season.
The Lost Boys TV series went through a redevelopment phase, guided by writer/producer Heather Mitchell, who turned the plot into basically a remake of the film, albeit with renamed and slightly altered versions of the characters fans' know. The CW was pleased enough with this take to order a pilot episode, directed by Twilight's Catherine Hardwicke. However, they ultimately passed on this version as well. One might think the network would cut its losses at that point, but instead they ordered a second pilot.
This second Lost Boys pilot attempt was redeveloped slightly by both Thomas and Mitchell, and all the roles in it were recast. This pilot is set to begin filming pretty soon, although an exact production start date is currently unavailable. Still, The CW is clearly 100 percent committed to making The Lost Boys work as a TV series, and definitely sees major potential in the idea. That said, if they opt not to pick up this second pilot for a full first season, one wonders if that might be the end of the road.