Jesse Custer is coming…to television.
AMC has ordered a pilot episode for “Preacher,” a Sam Catlin-scripted (“Breaking Bad”) adaptation of the Garth Ennis-Steve Dillon comic-book franchise of the same name that will be directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (“This is the End”), the network announced today.
“Every once in a while you find a project where all the elements line up beautifully. With ‘Preacher,” it starts with a bold, compelling, and thought-provoking comic book series from Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon and a whole lot of fans who already know Jesse Custer, Cassidy, and Tulip,” said AMC executive vice president of original programming, production and digital content Joel Stillerman in a statement. “Add to that the passionate and talented Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and Sam Catlin, an incredible producing team in Neal Moritz, the Original Film team and our good friends at Sony Pictures Television, and we have everything we need to be VERY excited to move forward on ‘Preacher.””
Added Rogen and Goldberg: “'Preacher' has been our favorite comic since it first came out. Garth Ennis is one of our idols and it”s an incredible honor to be working on this. We promise we won”t make too many dick jokes and ruin it.”
First published in 1995, “Preacher” tells the story of Jesse Custer, a small-town Texas preacher who develops God-like powers after becoming possessed by a half-demon, half-angel infant named Genesis. Along with Irish vampire Cassidy and his ex-girlfriend Tulip, he then embarks on a mission to “literally find God,” who abandoned Heaven after Genesis was born.
“Steve Dillon and I are extremely pleased to know AMC has taken ‘Preacher” to pilot,” said Ennis in his own statement. “We have had an ongoing voice in the efforts of the writers whom Sony TV and Original Film entrusted with this project, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and Sam Catlin, and have been most gratified that they continue to include us, and that they have tackled the project with the type of unwavering commitment and courage needed to present the material as Steve and I intended…
“This has been a long time coming, but that it continues apace, and with the chance to be delivered episodically, gives ‘Preacher” an opportunity to be seen in its best possible medium, not previously possible. And many thanks indeed to Ken Levin and Neal Moritz for their never flagging commitment to ‘Preacher,” and for never giving up well past the point when I myself grew skeptical — we have principally gotten to where we are today because of Neal and Ken.”
“Preacher” will be produced next summer for series consideration in 2016.
What do you think of this news? Are you keeping your fingers crossed for a “Preacher” TV series? Let us know in the comments.