Sam Mendes to Direct Preacher: The Movie
Big news this week for fans of Vertigo Comics… specifically Garth Ennis’ Preacher series. Once upon a time, Preacher was headed to the big screen with James Marsden and Samuel L. Jackson set to star. Unfortunately that project fell through (check out some early character designs), but then HBO optioned the property as a potential TV series. It sounded promising, until it was recently confirmed by writer Mark Steven Johnson that the project was, once again, basically dead in the water. He did, however, say that there was still hope on the horizon for a Preacher feature… so to speak. And it looks like he was right.
The Hollywood Reporter broke the news today that Columbia Pictures have picked up the rights to the comic, and Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Road to Perdition) has signed on to direct. Neal Moritz (The Fast and the Furious, I Am Legend) is producing along with Jason Netter (Wanted). No word on a cast or a screenwriter as of yet. This is certainly among my top choices for comics I would love to see adapted, although I don’t want to get my hopes up too soon. Something tells me that the movie is just too controversial to be done properly. This is supposedly the reason that HBO eventually let it go, and if something is too controversial for HBO, what are the odds a big studio will actually see it through to completion? Let’s keep our fingers crossed.
Comments (13)
I’m still doubtful it’ll get made.
Useless Fact: I have most of the Preacher graphic novels but only one single issue which is the one pictured above. Maybe this is some beautiful sign that Mendes will drop out and I’ll get a phone call. Dontcha think? Anybody!?
Posted by Ryan M. on October 30th, 2008Preacher is easily my favorite comic work ever…thank got Mark Steven Johnson is off it…and Mendes is a talented dude…but I agree with ryan above, it will probably never get made…however Sam Mendes would probably (mostly) make it right if it does.
Also, sean, your site in crashing windows explorer again…i know, i know…ill start using firefox.
Posted by Bob The Slob on October 30th, 2008if they turn anything into a movie it ought to be th SOK miniseries…… W/O sam jackson. great actor but not for the saint.
Posted by Keith on December 21st, 2008you r right, Sam L. Jackson is not right for the SOK part. that would only be Clint Eastwood, right.and who would play jesse? hugh jackman. cassidy? robert carlyle.tulip? lori petty. star? sir ben kingsley.jody?vince vaughn(if he wasnt so goofy all the time)but maybe? t.c.?billy bob thorton. arseface? johnny depp.message me for a complete cast list.
Posted by cordell on December 29th, 2008Prolly will never be made. However, they should keep with original idea of Jesse. James Marsden. SOK should w/o a doubt be Nick Nolte or Clint Eastwood.
Callum Blue from Dead Like Me would be a good Cassidy. And a new face for tulip.
Posted by scott kegler on January 7th, 2009i am so happy to hear they might make movie.. i heard they’re makin a movie based on the boys as well. which i would die for.. but if samuel jackson is in either.. i will lose all faith in humanity and kill myself.. it’d would be like a dream come true.. with crap all over it.. someone needs to kill sam jackson so who can never ruin another film again.. i cant believe he was in the spirit.. that right there made me not see the movie.. and now that it’s bombed in theatres. i am never going to watch it..
Posted by dustyin on January 14th, 2009I just dont think a single film can do it justice, I feel a tv series is still the best route for an adaptation of this superb graphic novel, it’s a real shame that HBO got cold feet over what is admittedly difficult material but it could have proved to be a truly ground-breaking show! I would have watched, and then no doubt gone out and bought the box set. If it does get made as a movie I really hope they prove me wrong!
Posted by Balboa on February 9th, 2009“Most of the graphic novels?” So you don’t know how it ends? How would you direct it?
Posted by Matt on March 6th, 2009Let’s face it.
This is going to be stomped to death by the industry.
The Preacher is too smart, too good, for what studios try to appeal too. The most base, common denominator of emotional response and entertainment. But frankly, any one with enough intelligence to make money in movies doing good projects will realize that this book hits ALL of those base feelings, and doesn’t need to be messed with. IT NEEDS TO BE A LONG FORM NARRATIVE. HBO let it go, maybe because they don’t know how to look at the comic as a storyboard? As it essentially IS a storyboard. Maybe the buttons don’t feel like they play as well for the screen.
But the underlying issue is this. If you do this wrong, it is going to come out like the punisher movies with a supernatural twist. No good. No one can get a punisher movie right because there is no super power twist. It’s not that kind of tale. A spaghetti western approach was a great idea with no execution, no story.
Give this to someone with style, with great flair. Hell, GIVE THIS TO GARTH and a talented screenwriter. Why not let someone like Michel Gondry take a shot at it and make something worthwhile that will KEEP paying those involved long after the project is wrapped?
Be businessmen in the business of art, for god’s sake. It’s entertainment rich already, don’t mess it up.
You know what. Hell.
Give it to me. I’ll do it on the cheap because I respect the work.
One more rant on the web, eh?
Don’t let me down. P.S. Steve Dillon, get a hold of me.
Yup. I felt compelled to write on this one. So here I am, sounding off.
And there’s a hell of a lot more where that came from.
Love,
Posted by Christopher on March 14th, 2009C
Let’s face it.
This is going to be stomped to death by the industry.
The Preacher is too smart, too good, for what studios try to appeal too. The most base, common denominator of emotional response and entertainment. But frankly, any one with enough intelligence to make money in movies doing good projects will realize that this book hits ALL of those base feelings, and doesn’t need to be messed with. IT NEEDS TO BE A LONG FORM NARRATIVE. HBO let it go, maybe because they don’t know how to look at the comic as a storyboard? As it essentially IS a storyboard. Maybe the buttons don’t feel like they play as well for the screen.
But the underlying issue is this. If you do this wrong, it is going to come out like the punisher movies with a supernatural twist. No good. No one can get a punisher movie right because there is no super power twist. It’s not that kind of tale. A spaghetti western approach was a great idea with no execution, no story.
Give this to someone with style, with great flair. Hell, GIVE THIS TO GARTH and a talented screenwriter. Why not let someone like Michel Gondry take a shot at it and make something worthwhile that will KEEP paying those involved long after the project is wrapped?
Be businessmen in the business of art, for god’s sake. It’s entertainment rich already, don’t mess it up.
You know what. Hell.
Give it to me. I’ll do it on the cheap because I respect the work.
One more rant on the web, eh?
Don’t let me down. P.S. Steve Dillon, get a hold of me.
Yup. I felt compelled to write on this one. So here I am, sounding off.
And there’s a hell of a lot more where that came from.
Love,
Posted by Christopher on March 14th, 2009C
I agree with Christopher – this needs to be a long form narrative! A two-hour feature, regardless of who’s at the helm, will NOT do this literary masterpiece justice. It’s just too rich for two hours worth of film. I wish the good people at HBO would get their heads outta their asses, respectfully, and get it done there. HBO would’ve been the perfect home for Preacher. Given their current line-up of “hits”, they should really reconsider Preacher. These aren’t the Sopranos days of old. They got some real stinkers at the moment: In Treatment, Concords, blah, blah, blah… If it weren’t for Entourage, the network would sink. Shame on you HBO. They had a chance to bring this work to life and passed on it? I’d like to know who that moron was. It was tailor-made for HBO. In closing, whatever happens with Preacher, even if it’s turned into a 2 hour film, PLEASE DO NOT cast Sam Jackson as SOK or ANYTHING else in this film! He just does NOT belong in the Preacher universe. Cheers.
Posted by Mariusz on April 28th, 2009Not gonna watch it.
Not gonna watch the Cowboy Bebop or Avatar movies either.
Keanu Reaves cannot be Spike and Samuel Jackson definetaly cannot be the Saint of Killers. He’s far better off being some Jedi hotshot.
Posted by brujahonly on May 30th, 2009Dunno I think Marsden’s a bit fresh faced. Maybe Rufus Sewell? I do agree that Nolte/Eastwood are both big shouts for SOK though
Posted by RonB on July 8th, 2009Leave a Reply