author Aaron Foley’s novel optioned by Amazon Prime Video – Detroit Free Press
Hollywood is interested in another possible TV series about life in Detroit, thanks to Aaron Foley’s 2022 novel “Boys Come First.”
Foley, an author and journalist from Detroit, revealed Friday on Facebook that Amazon Prime Video has optioned the screen rights to his Motor City-set book about the friendship of three gay Black men.
While the development process can be quick or lengthy in the TV industry, “Boys Come First” has the advantage of being optioned in connection with Chuck Hayward, an Emmy-nominated writer for the Disney+ hit “WandaVision.” His credits also include writing and producing Netflix’s “Dear White People.”
In a Facebook post, Foley wrote that Hayward is going to write the pilot script “in the hopes of starting production on a pilot episode as soon as possible.”
Foley told the Free Press via email Friday that talks about optioning the book began last summer. He said he’s keeping his fingers crossed that the project will be approved for a series.
“I grew up on ‘Martin’ and ‘Sister, Sister,’ and of course we have ‘BMF’ now, so I’m just as excited about having the chance to add to the Detroit TV library,” Foley said. “And I couldn’t have imagined that in a current environment that is unfriendly to queer literature that this story could be amplified this way.”
“Boys Come First” drew praise from critics for Foley’s vivid portrait of his main characters and his depiction of Detroit as seen through a millennial lens. Publishers Weekly said that “Foley’s love for his city and his engaging characters shines through, and his novel is funny, naughty, and comforting.”
Debut novelist from Detroit chronicles the lives of 3 gay Black men in ‘Boys Come First’
A Renaissance High School and Michigan State University alum, Foley has spent much of his career in journalism and also worked previously as the chief storyteller for the city of Detroit.
He has written two previous books, including 2015’s humorous nonfiction guide “How to Live in Detroit Without Being a Jackass.” Currently, he lives in New York and works for “PBS NewsHour.”
Contact Detroit Free Press pop culture critic Julie Hinds at jhinds@freepress.com.