HBO Says No to Preacher
Brian Eison;)
Preacher by Garth Ennis & Steve DillonAccording to recent articles on Newsarama and Comics Continuum, fans no longer have to dread or look forward to a Preacher TV series on HBO.
Mark Steven Johnson, who brought us such comic book movie “classics” as Daredevil and Ghost Rider, wrote the pilot and was set to serve as an executive producer for the series that has been in development since November of 2006. According to Johnson, HBO execs felt the series direction was going to be “too dark, too violent and too controversial” for their liking and was very faithful to the DC/Vertigo series from creators Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. “It was a very faithful adaptation of the first few books, nearly word for word,” says Johnson, “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.”
The idea for the TV series with HBO came about after several attempts to package it as a feature film fell thru. Even as it seems that idea has failed as well, Johnson was quoted in saying a possible movie or even movie series could still be in the works. And who knows…with the current popularity of comic book movies and the way The Dark Knight has ruled the box office this year perhaps Warner Brothers themselves will get involved. But for now Preacher can be labeled as yet another DC property stuck in developmental limbo and let the debate continue to rage if that is a good thing or bad thing for fans.
Reader Comments (9)
"too dark, too violent and too controversial" for HBO? Do I have list the series they've put out over the past 10 years?
Dexter wasn't dark and twisted in the least. No sir.
I got a feeling they didn't wanna touch the whole angels demons and God aspect.
We'll film the orgy and Arseface and all that other crazy shit, but we ain't touching God leaving his post and all that shit.
Which is fine with me.
I don't need live action versions of stuff.
It doesn't make my love of a property feel validated because someone in a more legimate form of media has taken notice.
Vy, Dexter is a Showtime property, not HBO, but I see your point.
I can understand a network thinking that it is “too dark, too violent and too controversial," but what they hell, it's HBO for crying out loud. Isn't there past success built on having shows and programs that are just over the edge of "safe for TV?"
If HBO, Cinemax (makers of some very fine porn), and Showtime can't tackle touchy topics what channel can?
Whoops! My bad, Kris. You definitely have my general concurrence, though. I guess some types of "just over the edge" sell better than others (i.e. pornographic material).
Rather than compare it to the Dark Knight's success, Warner Brothers would be better off waiting to see how the Watchmen movie does. That's much closer in content than Dark Knight...
But do you think Warner Brothers really knows the differences between Batman, Watchmen and Preacher? I've read quotes from suits at WB saying that they now believe the key to fixing the Superman movie franchise is to make them "dark and brooding" like The Dark Knight.
[...] According to recent articles on Newsarama and Comics Continuum, fans no longer have to dread or look forward to a Preacher TV series on HBO. Mark Steven Johnson, who brought us such comic book movie classics as Daredevil and Ghost Rider, wrote the pilot and was set to serve as an executive producer for the series that has been in development since November of 2006. According to Johnson, HBO execs felt the series direction was going to be too dark, too violent and too controversial for the source: HBO says no to Preacher [...]