Pray all you want, but that Preacher series HBO was thinking about doing? Not happening. Sez Mark Steven Johnson over at Comics Continuum:
"We were budgeting and everything and it was getting really close to going," Johnson told The Continuum. "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.
This is a shame, but I have to imagine that Garth Ennis—upon hearing that Preacher is too violent for the network that aired The Sopranos—just high-fived himself.
12 comments
Comments
B.E. said:
Was The Sopranos really that violent, though? I seem to remember most violence taking place off-screen or being relatively non-bloody. Cassidy tends to rip people's throat out with this teeth on a fairly regular basis. So, y'know. Little different.
Maybe Showtime will pick it up.
And hang on--isn't Mark Steven Johnson the guy who's responsible for two of the worst superhero movies of all time--Ghost Rider and Daredevil? Is it really a shame that we won't be seeing his version?
"Word for word" my ass. I'll believe it if I see it.
Neal Snow said:
This is good news! No matter who is behind it, a Preacher series/movie would suck. Hollywood would never, at least in this day and age, allow a faithful adaptation of such a fucked up series. Besides, what's the point? We have the books.
gia said:
Hmm...I'd have been interested in seeing who they cast, anyway.
Neal Snow: I won't disagree about how they'd probably never do a decent adaptation, but to ask "what's the point? We have the books" is kinda silly. I mean, thinking that way, why adapt anything into a different medium?
Hudson said:
Interesting. Too dark and too violent for HBO. That makes no fucking sense and FUCK YOU HBO. I am on Showtime now anyway give me Weeds, Dexter and Californication anytime
Hembree said:
I've never actually had a chance to read Preacher - the nearest comics shop is about 30 miles away - but my best guess is studio politics. HBO's been hyping the hell out of their dumbass "Hip Sexy" vampire show bullshit. Frankly it looks dumb as fuck. I'd rather see a go ahead with preacher than that shit. At least their vampire crap has Rogue from the X-Men movies, but c'mon - the characters all look like white-trash stereotypes from the promos...
sal said:
I think the "Hip Sexy" vampire show bullshit..." is going to be ok...since the "gay vampire movie twilight" is coming out
Zach Oat said:
Uh, Hembree, you might want to actually read "Preacher," because this probably had nothing to do with studio politics and everything to do with content. Yes, "True Blood" ALSO has vampires, but what it DOESN'T have is angels and demons having sex, fat priests vomiting in buckets, a heaven where God has quit, a man having sex with a giant woman made of meat and the inbred descendant of Jesus' bloodline with Mary Magdalene pissing on a gardener. It also doesn't have Arseface, the failed shotgun suicide victim who now has a face like an arse and makes everyone throw up every time they see him.
If you're not squeamish or overly religious, buy the first volume at Barnes & Noble, if they even carry it; if not, order it online. You'll be glad you did. The ability of Garth Ennis to think crazy shit up is only matched by Steve Dillon's ability to draw it.
That said, yeah, I trust Mark Steven Johnson to handle "Preacher" properly about as far as I can throw him. But I would have loved to see a real-life Saint of Killers take on the army in Monument Valley.
Neal Snow, by your argument the "Lord of the Rings" movies were unnecessary, as was "Iron Man" and "Dark Knight." You are high.
Angela said:
Aren't all women technically made of meat...?
All men, too.
Zach Oat said:
Angela, if you are composed of whole turkeys and assorted sausage links, then you, too, can be a Preacher character.
emon xie said:
I'm sad to read this, although after seeing HBO drop the ball on other series that deserved further seasons and didn't involve furthering American-Italian stereotypes, not all that surprised.
I do think Showtime could run with this though, and hope they do, or even better, someone less squeamish about offending white middle American target markets, like Canal / 4 or Takashi Miike perhaps.
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turnidoff said:
As much as I love Preacher(except for the final issue which was a cop out), I dont think its possible to make into a show. They would constantly be pissing groups off and for HBO, it's probably not worth it.
AfterGlow said:
They should make Preacher in to an animated series (R-rated), a panel by panel adaption with all the dialog and scenes intact. It would be cheaper to make, easier to make true to the original and folk generally doesn't care about ultra-violence and sleaze these days if it's in animated form (Thank you anime) so it has a much greater possibility to get green-lights for airing.
