Detroit author’s novel is in development for Amazon Prime series – Detroit News
Detroit author and authority Aaron Foley announced Friday that he’s optioned the screen rights of his Detroit-set novel for development into a series for Prime Video.
“Boys Come First” is Foley’s first novel, telling the story of three friends and Black, gay, millennial life in a modern Detroit. Foley is also the author of two nonfiction books: “How to Live in Detroit Without Being a Jackass” and “The Detroit Neighborhood Guidebook.”
Foley, a senior editor at “PBS News Hour,” announced the Amazon Prime news on social media Friday.
“Thanks to everyone for believing in this very Black, very gay, very Detroit story,” he wrote on Twitter. “Let’s make history.”
Foley told The Detroit News that he’s unsure of the timeline for the series, but the ball is rolling. Emmy-nominated showrunner Chuck Hayward is set to write the pilot script.
“I’m telling people I’m cautiously optimistic mainly because of like how TV is now … all of the streamers cutting shows off to save money, and sometimes shows are announced and then they get stalled for a while,” he said. “What I know is that Prime Video is committed to making it. I’m excited … but I’m also realistic about how the industry works.”
Foley released “Boys Come First” last spring on Belt Publishing to warm reviews and accolades from national publications from Wall Street Journal to Buzzfeed. He said the response exceeded his expectations.
“I’ve always wanted to do creative writing, went into journalism instead … I was kind of nervous because it was a queer book with queer characters doing queer things and it’s not often you read those types of stories set in Detroit,” he said. “I honestly did know that this would, not only in Detroit, but it would resonate outside, too. It’s been overwhelming.”
More:Lives of gay Black Detroit men explored in ‘Boys Come First’