Zayn Malik's solo career has gifted him with the unique opportunity to go in multiple directions at once, building on the fanbase earned through his boy band past by carving out his own identity. Being in one of the biggest boy bands of all time, after all, has its limitations. With his just-announced NBC series, a collaboration with Law & Order creator Dick Wolf, Malik is set to show the world the real struggles of boy band megastardom.
"Dick Wolf is a legend an the opportunity to work with him and NBC to create a compelling drama series is awesome," Malik toldVariety Tuesday. The series, dubbed Boys, is currently in development and is said to be inspired by Malik's experiences during his One Direction tenure. "Boys will be a show that's totally integrated on broadcast and digital platforms," Noelle Wolf, who's developing the series alongside husband Dick, said. "Casting and original music will be major components, giving the show promotional potential on multiple levels."
"On top of our excitement around the creative ideas being discussed, we have a lot of respect for the musical and digital ambitions behind the project," NBC Entertainment president Jennifer Salke added in a statement. Boys will be penned by Jennifer Levin and Sherri Cooper-Landsman, most known as the co-creators of the CW's Beauty and the Beast series. Malik will serve as executive producer.
Speaking with Complex earlier this year for his April/May cover story, Malik opened up about his struggle with authenticity during his One Direction days. "That was something that was always underlying, and ended up as the main factor of me leaving in the end," he said at the time. "It was about denying the authenticity of who I was, and what I enjoyed about music, and why I got into it. That was always there. It was one of the things that wasn't going to go away, so I had to go away."
