The Boys executive producer Seth Rogen recently promised that the Amazon Prime series’ second season would be “better” and more outrageous, and it certainly looks like the show has upped the bloody ante, but not all is going as planned with production. The superhero-skewering series, which prided itself upon only cutting one scene from its first season and marketed itself partially upon a bulge, apparently went too far while plotting and preparing to shoot an ultra-violent scene in Toronto.
The series hoped to film (on Wednseday) a scene including 450 people in Mel Lastman Square, not far from where a 2018 van attack took place against civilians on Yonge Street, killing 10 people and injuring over a dozen more. Toronto Councillor John Filion declared that the scene would have been “disrespectful” and likely result in “people literally re-living those events.” From the Toronto Sun:
According to the production company’s description, it would unfold as follows: “One of the rogue superheroes attacks the crowd. There will be people screaming and running in the scene as well as a considerable amount of fake blood.”
“I flipped out,” said Filion. “There are people who work in this building, who went out onto Yonge St. to try to help the van attack victims — many of them are still traumatized. And think about the families and loved ones of those victims. So I made some phone calls and that second portion was cancelled.”
The outlet adds further word from City of Toronto spokesperson Brad Ross, who revealed that nearby residents had complained about the planned scene. Meanwhile, 26-year-old Alek Minassian stands charged of multiple first-degree murder and attempted murder counts, less than two years after the attack. Obviously, this tragedy is still very fresh in people’s minds, but Amazon Studios hasn’t issued an official statement on the matter as of yet, so clarification may be forthcoming.
(Via Toronto Sun)
