In December 2006 on our Slice of SciFi show #86 we reported that the HBO pay cable channel would develop a live-action series based on the Garth Ennis graphic novels titled “Preacher.” After nearly two years in pre-production it now looks as if HBO is backing down from its proposed presentation of the series.
In an interview with Comic Continuum, screenwriter Mark Stephen Johnson (“Ghost Rider,” “Elektra” and “Daredevil”) stated that the the new head of HBO simply won’t let it happen.
“We were budgeting and everything and it was getting really close to going,” Johnson said. “But the new head of HBO felt it was just too dark and too violent and too controversial. Which, of course, is kind of the point! It was a very faithful adaptation of the first few books, nearly word for word. They offered me the chance to redevelop it but I refused. I’ve learned my lesson on that front and I won’t do it again. So I’m afraid it’s dead at HBO.”
However, this doesn’t mean the project is completely out of the running. Johnson indicated that there could be a big screen version made of it and he hopes it gets turned into a film franchise.
“I’ve heard someone is in the process of getting the rights to turn it into a feature film. I hope that happens. But I hope it happens as a series of movies as one movie couldn’t do it justice. I really love that story and I dedicated a lot of my time to honor Garth’s work. But it wasn’t meant to be.”
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