There has been a lot of talk for a couple of years of various attempts to bring the Vertigo comic “Preacher” to the big screen. One of the most notable attempts was by Kevin Smith with X-Men’s James Marsden in the lead role (you know… I totally could have seen that work). But now word has come out that Preacher will NOT be heading to the big screen… instead… HBO is developing a TV series for the story. And come to think of it… that’s not a bad idea.
Not sure what Preacher is? Here’s a quick synopsis:
“Preacher,” which ran from 1995-2000, 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 an old 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.
With shows like Lost, Battlestar Galactica (greatest show in the history of television) and even now Heroes, it becoming clear that one of the advantages TV has over movies is TIME. Heroes can take 4, 8, or 14 hours to layout, set up and properly tell a complex and deep story. A movie doesn’t have that advantage or luxury. A movie has 2 hour (on average) to introduce the characters, set up the plot, get us attached to the primaries and draw it all to a close. All in two hours.
I was disappointed to hear Preacher wasn’t coming to a theater near me… but as I think about it… a property like Preacher is probably better suited for a TV series. More time equals more depth… and Preacher has a lot of depth. (Source: MovieHole)
