Preacher goes TV!

[Anarky]

Oh God, yes! Yes! Yes!!!

HBO has seen the light and is bringing "Preacher" to the small screen.

The pay cable network is developing a one-hour series based on the popular 1990s Vertigo comics series. Mark Steven Johnson, the writer-director behind comic adaptations "Daredevil" and the upcoming "Ghost Rider," is writing the pilot, while Howard Deutch is attached to direct. Johnson and Deutch will executive produce along with Michael De Luca, George Agusto, Chris Bender and JC Spink.

"Preacher," which ran from 1995-2000, told the story of a down-and-out Texas preacher possessed by Genesis, a supernatural entity conceived by the unnatural coupling of an angel and a demon. Given immense powers, the preacher teamed with an old girlfriend and a hard-drinking Irish vampire and set out on a journey across America to find God -- who apparently had abandoned his duties in heaven -- and hold him accountable for his negligence.

The series was created by Irish-born writer Garth Ennis and British artist Steve Dillon, who will serve as co-executive producers. Ken F. Levin, who reps the duo, also will serve as co-exec producer.

The series -- which developed a rabid fan base -- was known for tackling religious and political issues, its dark and violent sense of humor and its observations of American culture. It also was one of the series that helped define Vertigo, the adult-oriented line of comics from DC Comics.

Source

A couple'a words of the Executive Producer:

Mark Steven Johnson, who has just signed a deal with HBO to adapt the popular Vertigo comic Preacher into an hourlong series, told SCI FI Wire that he plans to turn each issue of the comic into a single episode, which will be as close to the original source material as possible. "I gave [HBO] the comics, and I said, 'Every issue is an hour,'" Johnson said at a preview of his upcoming film Ghost Rider in Hollywood, Calif., on Nov. 30. "And it's exactly the book. ... I had my meeting yesterday, and [Preacher creator] Garth Ennis is on the phone, and we're all in the room, and Garth is like, 'You don't have to be so beholden to the comic.' And I'm like, 'No, no, no. It's got to be like the comic.' So that's what's so brilliant about it. It's just like, HBO, who else would do it but them? Nobody. ... HBO is just like, 'Bring it on.'" Johnson is no stranger to comic-book adaptations, having written and directed Daredevil and Ghost Rider, both based on Marvel comics characters. In the case of Preacher, however, he felt that a feature film would not do the story justice. "Well, Preacher is 70-something issues," he said. "There was going to be a movie made of Preacher a while ago, and I read the script, and it broke my heart. Because I'm like, 'Oh, it's not a two-hour movie. Preacher's six years—six dedicated years of the most incredible stuff you've ever seen in your whole life. So I always thought HBO was the only way to do that." Preacher centers on a Texas holy man named Jesse Custer, who is possessed by a supernatural entity that is half angel and half demon. Given immense powers, Jesse sets out on a journey to find God—who has fled from heaven—and hold him accountable for his actions. "He can do whatever he wants with that power," Johnson said. "And instead he says, 'You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to find God. And I'm going to make him pay. I want God to answer for everything he's done to people.' I think that's really honorable. ... God gets scared, and he leaves heaven because Jesse's so powerful. Jesse says, 'You know what? I'm going to find God. And I don't care how long it takes. And I want to make God give an answer to everybody and say why you've deserted your people.' It's honorable." Although the deal was just finalized this week, Johnson said he isn't wasting any time getting to work on the script. "I had my meeting yesterday, so I've go to get writing. ... Right now. Literally, when I get home." —Cindy White

Oh hell yeah! Booze, religion, The Saint Of Killers! The Saint of Killers, people! The guy who gets nuked and just walks by as if nothing happened. Oh yes... I can't wait.