HBO’s Preacher Series Not Moving Forward

Posted by on August 27th, 2008   Filed under: Books/Comics, TV
Source: /Film

With all the new HBO shows currently in development, one previously announced project that kind of fell off the radar is their adaptation of Garth Ennis’ Preacher comic book series. Well it turns out the reason that it fell off the radar is because it is no longer happening. Writer Mark Steven Johnson recently broke the bad news to Comics Continuum:

“We were budgeting and everything and it was getting really close to going, 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!… 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.”

This is indeed unfortunate, but as Peter at /Film points out, Mark Steven Johnson is the same guy responsible for Ghost Rider and Daredevil, and maybe not the ideal person to bring such a great story to the small screen anyway. Johnson says that someone else is once again pursuing it as a possible feature film, though, so maybe there’s hope yet.



  • I figured this project was over with. Although Mark Steven Johnson has made it clear that he sucks at directing; it is possible that the series could have still been good if he were just producing it. I read an interview several months ago (which dated back several years) that he wanted to turn every issue into an episode (which would work almost perfectly) so I thought there may be a chance that HBO would bite. Unsurprisingly they didn’t, even though the uproar the series can cause would very likely lead to more viewers than expected. Also, since comic book fans are generally collectors with disposable incomes they would probably sell so many DVD box sets (even if the series was just good) that their heads would explode!

    Preacher is one of the top pieces of fiction I fantasize about doing if I ever get carte blanche with a studio. It is in fact “too dark and too violent and too controversial” for anyone less than a Spielberg or Cameron to get off the ground and running. The fact of the matter is that it would probably have to be a 25-50 million dollar movie! In order to tell the whole story faithfully it would have to be at least a trilogy of three hour movies! What studio would go for a three hour movie of the most blasphemous fictional story of religion that I’ve ever read?

    Just being overly optimistic: by the time I have attained carte blanche on that level it may be ten or twenty years form now when the climate has changed…that means I may still have some slim chance in Hell of directing Preacher!

  • Alex Cronk-Young

    Dammit, I was so looking forward to this. I guess it could work as a movie but I’d of preferred the HBO series. There are many things that could be removed to make it fit into a movie timespan though. That whole Salvation story for example.

  • I’m sad to hear this because Preacher is my favorite comic book.

    I’m also happy to hear this because Preacher is my favorite comic book.

    Mark Steven Johnson sucks.

  • Bob the Slob

    Preacher is my absolute favorite comic book.

    Rian I couldnt have said it any better.

    Mark Steven Johnson is complete shit.