Preacher update

In a way, it’s not all that surprising that PREACHER has had a tough road to movie adaptation. The comic followed a pugilistic young Texas preacher who loses his faith, becomes infused with the power of angel/demon offspring, meets up with his amateur assassin ex-girlfriend and an Irish vampire, and sets off on a road trip in order to kick God’s ass. Not entirely commercial or without lots of potential controversy.

But the movie has some heavy talent involved, so someone out there believes. Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes (AMERICAN BEAUTY, ROAD TO PERDITION) has writer John August (BIG FISH, CHARLIE’S ANGELS) trying to condense the 66 issues (plus one-shots) into a cogent feature length, which will prove quite a challenge.

“He’s about halfway through,” Mendes told MTV, presumably talking about the screenplay and not still reading the series. “You have to try and get one really good and then, if you’re lucky, you can make a second or a third. You can create something that’s going to run. But I think that there’s certainly more than enough for one good movie and plenty left over.“

The initial part of the PREACHER run introduces the mismatched trio and begins their bizarre adventures as they encounter various murderers and sodomites, a mangled rocker nicknamed Arseface, the immortal Saint of Killers, and a secret paramilitary organization dedicated to protecting the bloodline of Christ.