Sam Mendes' adaptation of Garth Ennis' controversial series "Preacher" finally has a writer. According to The Hollywood Reporter, John August will be stepping in for scripting duties on the project, which is sounding better and better all the time.
The 60-issue series (by Ennis and artist Steve Dillon) tells the story of Jesse Custer, a Texas preacher who, imbued with the power of the "Word of God," has the ability to make anyone do exactly as he says. He travels across America with his ex-girlfriend, Tulip, and Irish vampire drinking buddy, Cassidy, to hunt down God and make him explain to all creation why he abandoned them.
Many fans believe they dodged a bullet last year when Mark Steven Johnson, the writer/director of critically panned "Ghost Rider" and "Daredevil" adaptations, announced that HBO's plans for a "Preacher" series had fallen through. News got better when "American Beauty" director Sam Mendes announced he would be stepping in to develop "Preacher" as a film.
In fact, Mendes told MTV last week that all was well and good with "Preacher," but that he still needs a script before he can move ahead.
Well, problem solved! While August was rather vocal earlier this month when he claimed that plans for a movie based on DC's Captain Marvel had been scrapped, he'll now be tackling both "Preacher" and Tim Burton's upcoming remake of his own short, "Frankenweenie".
As a die-hard Preacher fan (I've been carrying around a "F--K COMMUNISM" lighter in my pocket for the better part of the last decade) my one worry about August is that he won't be able to capture the right blend of action, comedy and violence to do the story justice. It's something even Ennis has had trouble doing post-"Preacher," and will make or break a big-screen version of the film.
So, is it time to start trying to talk Clint Eastwood into playing the story's "Saint of Killers?"
Do you want to see one big, shortened film or should this be the first of a "Preacher" franchise? Who's your dream casting? Let us know below!
