HBO Loses Faith In "Preacher" Adaptation

Vertigo series Preacher is one of the finest comic books of the last decade or so, so color me depressed that an HBO adaptation has fallen through.

“We were budgeting and everything and it was getting really close to going,” director Mark Steven Smith told Scifi.com. “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.”

Indeed. The Garth Ennis-scribed series, in which the Reverend Jesse Custer attempts to hunt down God and make Him answer for his crimes against humanity, features cuddly characters such as the aptly named “Arseface.” And he’s a role player. Still, shit would certainly play better than a new network offering like True Blood — it even has a vampire.

“It was a very faithful adaptation of the first few books, nearly word for word,” Smith said. “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.”

Then again, this may be a mixed blessing, as Smith’s prior directing efforts (Ghost Rider, Daredevil) weren’t exactly the stuff of adaptation legend. If you haven’t read Preacher — and you’re a fan of grimmer and grittier — start here.