Columbia Pictures has corned the owners of a popular comic from the 90s to secure the rights for a film. That comic was Preacher.
I never read the book, so fortunately ComingSoon.net describes it for us:
Created by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, “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.
So a vampire, a Preacher possessed by an angel/devil thing, and some girl want to find God and give him what for? Yeah, now I remember why I never read this book.
I can deal with supernatural stuff. I even like it a great deal, but when your story comes down to “We are hunting the most powerful entity in all creation” it loses credibility. I don’t want to get all theological or anything, but if they were hunting fallen angels or kicking rogue demon ass, then I might buy in. But their mission is to go give God a shin kickin?
Well it apparently is going to be made into a movie. I don’t mind all these stories being drug up from comics. I think its a great resource for storytelling, but they might just be grabbing at anything now.
I think the new way to get a script read in Hollywood is to make it a comic book.
This comic is one of the best I’ve ever read, I was unsure at first, but as soon as I started reading it, I was pulled in. Its great. Though I’m a bit nervous about the movie….You know how movies can leave out alot…and with this comic there are tons of important characters and tons of info. that I think is crucial. Either way I cant wait to see it and I hope its as great as the comic.
Just finished the entire series, my first graphic novel read ever. It was suggested by a young woman at a bookstore in Everett, WA who said this when I told her I was considering reading a graphic novel, “I don’t know how open minded you are, but the Preacher series is great!” That sealed the deal, completely enjoyed it, much better than I expected.
“What makes you think I am “dissing” it”
Probably the line in your main post that says “Yeah, now I remember why I never read this book” whch kinda comes across as “yeah what a load of silly bollocks” =P
IMO the main post just seems a lil negative ya know and i understand that tone of voice is hard to interpret over the internet but you come across as looking down on it.
No beef tho :)
What makes you think I am “dissing” it.
I PASSED ON IT because I dont like the sound of the premise. Please stop trying to put words in my mouth.
Rodney, I could forgive you for not liking The Punisher, but you don’t like The Preacher either?! Geez, man, at least check it out before dissing it.
Preacher is whacked. I cannot imagine it as a movie.
I didn’t dismiss it, I said the premise sounds unappealing and I passed on it. Not dismissed.
Hey Rodney, don’t be “that guy”. Read Preacher before you dismiss it.
Oh man, I am so excited! Preacher is the most fucked up, genius comic I’ve ever laid eyes on. The first few issues are a little “meh,” but starting around issue 8 it REALLY picks up. Rodney, you’re really missing out! I’ll let you borrow my copies if you want to read them. Seriously!
I never had a chance to pick Preacher up but I’ve heard nothing but good things about it through the years, and I don’t know what the hell Rodney is talking about but if the alternative to this is another SHITTY Hollywood remake of some crap film then I’m all for Preacher being made……quickly.
this is a book i put off because a story about a preacher didn’t make sense to me…. then i sat down and read the book… I’ve already read the series 4 times since that day.
Long story short one day a preacher is drunk at church telling people exactly what he thinks about them and then out of nowhere there’s a big explosion and everyone is dead except for him… he finds out a demon escaped from heaven and entered his body… this demon gives him the word of god so in other words when the seen comes and he tells a cop to go F’k himself he actually does it.(It’s not pretty)
Eventually on his adventure he finds out the truth about the demon being an offspring between a demon and angel… and god (The “GOD”) is terrified of the power it has and he has left Heaven to go into hiding… Preacher finds this out and decides to track god down to find out how could he let this and all the other atrocities in the world happen (and kick his ass) along the way god tries to throw obstacles in his way to get him to give up his venture.. along the way you meet a Heroin addicted vampire, Preachers Gun weilding ex-girlfriend, Arseface a guy who’s face looks like an ass (he tried to commit suicide after Kurt Cobain did it), a group of perverted socialites, an inbred family and a guy so bad his heart litterally makes hell freeze over and many more interesting characters. (Sex Detectives FTW!)
I “highly” recommend this book to anyone (it’s definitely not a kids book) who doesn’t mind cursing and gore and a dark sense of humor… I just don’t know how they can make this a 2 hour movie and do the book justice.
And for whoever is thinking I’m spoiling the book for anyone from what i just wrote i only told you about 10% of the book… go get it… or at least try to download it
I have a funny feeling this won’t make for a good movie. Call it a hunch, but I think they’ll fiddle with the premise too much to make it more appealing to casual fans but leave those of us who loved Preacher out in the cold.
This will be good!
I have read every single graphic novel under the sun, Preacher is by far the greatest of them all, I have been waiting and waiting for this. The second Volume ‘until the end of the world’ is the greatest, most powerful , most touching piece of work i have ever read. I hope clint eastwood is plays the Saint of killers. Simply awesome pleeeeese let it be so
I read the first volume and I wasn’t too fond of it. Instead of good dialogue, it’s filled with mindless lines like “pig fucking son of a whore.” I enjoy profanity just as much as the next guy, but it’s not enjoyable when it is obviously forced and unnatural sounding.
I remember this comic, I think the concept is radical, and probably might not do well in the box office…but, I would love to watch it
I just started reading the Preacher trades for the first time after the guy at my local comic shop kept pushing it on me based on the other stuff I read (Y, Fables, Rex Mundi, Walking Dead). I love it, but have a very hard time seeing how they’re going to condense that storyline in to 2 hours. The HBO series would have been a much better route to go with this one.
You missed the boat on this one Rodney. Preacher is probably the best comic series in the last 20 years (alongside League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) and definitely the best since Watchmen. Just read the first few issues (the whole series is available in trade) and you’ll be hooked.
I’ve haven’t read Precher myself but have heard nothing but good reviews for it, a friend of mine whose not a big comic fan started reading Precher after getting into Ennis’s Punisher MAX series and he totally rates it.
I’ve started reading The Boys by Ennis and he definatly writes for the mature reader.
preacher’s a solid little series. don’t piss on it because it’s two line synopsis isn’t so hot.
i’m not sure how a movie of it would go though. hellblazer’s a great read, too, but constantine sucked.
You really should read this one of a comic book.
It’s not one of many, it’s a very known, famous, and critically acclaimed one. I agree for a lot of recent news when you say about comic book and film, but this one has been in devellopement hell for years. First, it was supposed to be done by Rachel Talalay, with Josh Harnett, then after, as a TV séries on HBO, produced by the director of Dardevil and Ghost Rider.
The book is outrageous. A lot of kinky and shocking stuff. The guys dare almost everything in there. We see a lot of sexuel deviance and outrages. After eating stuffs like DaVinci Code, you should see what their doing of the Graal, and the holy bloodline… It’s priceless !
Seriousely, if you’re not afraid of being shocked, give the book a try, you won’t regret it. Believe me.
It’s a great book.