Do you remember going to the supermarket in the 1990s and being blown away by ridiculous Weekly World News headlines? Netflix is trying to bring a taste of that back with a new series about everyone’s favorite WWN anomaly, Bat Boy. It will be a young adult live-action horror comedy series.
The currently untitled series is being developed by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (“Riverdale”) and Joe Tracz (“One Piece”). It will be based on a creature that, as the name suggests, is half-bat and half-boy. He became infamous due to multiple sightings reported by the WWN in the 1990s, becoming a mascot for the publication.
The creature has cultivated an eclectic fanbase and inspired the 1997 Off-Broadway show “Bat Boy: The Musical.” However, it seems these two projects have no connection beyond the shared source material.
Bat Boy: The Series
The new Netflix series will be a coming-of-age tale about a teenager named Bobby Bates. It will follow Bobby’s quest to reenter society after living in seclusion on the outskirts of town in the remnants of a long-dissipated carnival. With the help of fellow teens/sisters Charisma and Olive, he enrolls at Cypressville High.
From there it is the typical teenage journey of self-discovery while also attempting to find your place among peers and society. But Bobby gets the joy of doing it while rocking bat-like features like sharp teeth and pointy ears. Not to mention his thirst for human blood complicating matters even further.
The show will be executive-produced by Aguirre-Sacasa and Jimmy Gibbons via Muckle Man Productions. Along with Tracz and Greg D’Alessandro, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of Weekly World News.
There is no confirmed cast or release window for Netflix’s Bat Boy series at this time. We’ll keep you posted on updates about the project as they become available.
