Sam Mendes to Revive Preacher on Big Screen

You can’t keep an alcoholic Texas preacher and an Irish vampire down. After getting unceremoniously dumped by HBO via a proposed 1-hour TV show, Garth Ennis’ “Preacher” comic book is now being aimed at the big screen by none other than “American Beauty” director Sam Mendes. There isn’t a script or actors attached as of yet, and I doubt if this thing will get a big budget (or indeed, if it’ll really need one), but Mendes will be developing it over at Columbia Pictures once he finishes his “Revolutionary Road” duties.

Via Reuters:

Created by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, the Vertigo Comics series 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 a former 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.

Besides “American Beauty”, Brit Mendes has done “Jarhead” and “Road to Perdition”. The guy knows how to make a movie look good, although I don’t necessarily believe that “Preacher” needs to look good onscreen, since it’s a pretty messed up and filthy comic book that will probably not lend itself to Hollywood gloss, to be perfectly honest with you. Then again, Mendes has made a career out of exposing the foibles of America, so the flick is probably in good hands.

Below: Church going folk need not bother.