Vought pulled out all the stop to hype The Boys.
Gold Derby caught up with the creative team behind the satirical supes over the weekend at an ice-skating Emmys FYC event. Showrunner and executive producer Eric Kripke, composer Christopher Lennertz, and choreographer Amy Wright broke down Season 4’s Vought on Ice production number of “Let’s Put the Christ Back in Christmas,” and shared their feelings heading into the final season.
The trio was joined by special costumed Vought on Ice skaters, as guests dined on official Vought-a-Burgers, fries, and finger foods. The Prime Video pop-up took place at the Century City Mall on Saturday and Sunday.
“As all of you know, being in the various academies, this is such a team sport. And this is a great example. Between Chris, with the singers and the orchestra, and Amy, with the dancers and the skaters, there are literally hundreds of people that put their effort into pulling off that nonsense,” Kripke said while toasting the attendees, referring to the Vought on Ice performance. “Amazon gives us so much money to do that nonsense.”
“I want my team to be recognized, because they are doing such world-class work, especially in this particular political climate,” Kripke continued. “They are just throwing the right spitballs at the right people. So, you know, for your consideration — please consider The Boys!”
Kripke later told Gold Derby, “Because it’s superheroes and because of the violence, I think we get written off a lot. But we put so much time and effort into political commentary and character. We think we’re making one of, if not the, most current show on television. We think we’re doing Veep with superheroes, in terms of satire and the exact minute we’re living in. I will not be the first person in Hollywood to say this, but it’d be awesome if they took the show a little more seriously.” He then added with a laugh, “That’s the biggest cliché! I just did it. I said the biggest cliché that anyone can say right here. And I’m horrified that I did, but it does happen to be true.”
Lennertz explained about the Vought on Ice extravaganza, “The idea of having our little crazy version of Ice Capades going on with Broadway royalty singing, and then having [Antony Starr‘s Homelander] literally laser everyone in half on an ice rink, and having blood just go everywhere, was a moment that only The Boys could do.” He noted, “As a composer and songwriter, you can’t ask for a better opportunity than that.” He received an Emmy nomination in Season 2 for the song “Never Truly Vanish,” and he has now written “nine or 10 original songs.”
Wright informed us that she hired the skaters and dancers for Vought on Ice, and filming in Toronto with so many international skating champions gave her access to the “cream of the crop.” She said, “The best was the younger kids. There were two boys that were just like 18 or 19, and they were inside the donkey. Production didn’t take them out very often because it was awkward to pull on and off, but inside they had neck fans, and they had stools, and they were just so happy.”
Kripke confessed that the fifth and final season of The Boys, which is filming now in Canada, is “a mix of bittersweet and just outright raw nerve fear. Bittersweet, because I genuinely love that group, and I’m really going to miss them. Fear, because there’s so few good series finales.” He revealed, “I’m feeling the pressure to stick the landing, because the ground is littered with the corpses of great shows that couldn’t end it properly. So much of a show’s legacy gets set by whatever their finale is. I’m really f–king with the show’s legacy by attempting to really land the plane well, but hopefully I do.”
Lennertz isn’t “as sad” as he normally would be at the end of a show, because “the world is continuing” with spin-offs including Gen V and Vought Rising. “It’s a little less sad than when Supernatural ended for me, which was a total heartbreak. But Eric’s brilliant, and Eric knows when the story should be done. There is a boiling point between Homelander and [Karl Urban‘s] Butcher that is inevitable, and I don’t think you can let it simmer any longer than it has to. I think this season is when it has to blow up. My guess is, it’s going to be a bloodbath.”
Wright pulled “double duty” on the show as the choreographer and as Vought’s on-screen choreographer character, so she’s “super sad” that it’s ending with Season 5. “As a performer in this industry, you never know when the next job is coming, so when something ends, it feels like a big funeral. But there is always something else that comes along.” She confirmed that she worked on a “pretty incredible thing” for the upcoming season, but couldn’t spoil anything just yet.
The first four seasons of The Boys are streaming now on Prime Video. The show has received eight Emmy nominations to date, with one win for stunt coordination in 2023.
Watch the official video of “Let’s Put the Christ Back in Christmas”:
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