the boys mel lastman square

TV show cancels plans to film gory mass fight scene at site of Toronto van attack

Amazon Original series The Boys is getting some flack today after its creators were particularly insensitive — or perhaps just oblivious — to a particular tragedy that took place in Toronto last year.

The notoriously gruesome superhero show, which stars the likes of Gossip Girl's Chace Crawford and True Detective's Erin Moriarty, was set to film an especially gory scene in Mel Lastman Square today.

The proposed setting for the 450-person scene involving an attack on a large crowd and "a considerable amount of fake blood" was uncomfortably close to the site where an incel drove up onto a Yonge Street sidewalk and intentionally plowed through pedestrians last April, killing 10 and injuring 16.

Toronto Councillor John Filion of Ward 18 Willowdale stepped in before filming began today to prevent what could have been a traumatic scene for those in the area who witnessed or were otherwise affected by the van attack last year.

Showrunners were thankfully open to changing their plans.

It's unclear whether the cast and crew of the series — which has been filming its second season in Toronto since June — were ignorant of the potential set's proximity to the violent incident, or just didn't care.

Lead photo by

The Boys TV


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in Film

Cineplex now offers free popcorn and drink refills in Canada

Canada's largest pan-Asian film festival returns to Toronto for its 28th year

Toronto's longest-running free film festival returns this month

Futuristic Toronto building is known around the world through movies and TV

What's new on Prime Video Canada this November

Here's what's new on Netflix Canada this November

You can watch a classic Halloween film scored by a live orchestra in Toronto this week

Guillermo del Toro just shouted out a Toronto store calling it 'world-class'