Preacher

Studio: Unknown.
Production Company: Storm Entertainment.

Project Phase: In Development.

Who's In It: Offers are out to Ben Affleck (Jesse Custer); Cameron Diaz (Tulip); Robert Carlysle (Cassidy) and Samuel L. Jackson (The Saint of Killers). Who'll play Arseface? They ain't tellin' just yet.
Who's Making It: Rachel Talalay (Director); Garth Ennis (Screenwriter); Rupert Harvey, Tom Astor (Producers); Kevin Smith, Scott Mosier, Michael Heuser (Exeutive Producers); based on the comic book Preacher published by DC Comics, created by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon.

Premise: Everybody, in their own way, searches for God but Jesse Custer's quest is unique. It's not the fact that he's a preacher who's lost his faith. It's not even that his girlfriend is an assassin. And no, it's not even the fact that his travelling buddy is a 100-year-old Irish vampire. It's not even the fact that he's bonded with a mysterious entity known as Genesis and has the power of The Word, which will make you do anything he tells you to do. We're talking anything. No, Jesse's uniqueness lies with the fact that when he finds God, he's going to hold him accountable for the sorry state of the world he created.

Release Date: Unknown.

Comments: Essentially picking up the "flagship" status of DC's Vertigo line of dark mature-themed comics once Neil Gaiman's The Sandman ended, Preacher has been wildly popular despite its, *ahem*, somewhat unorthodox take on not just religion but also death, Anne Rice, and Kurt Cobain's suicide. If they could make the film be as irreverant as the comic (and with Ennis in charge of the script, there is hope), then it's sure to be a hit.

Rumors: Unknown.

Scoop Feedback:

[Page draft submitted by 'Widgett'.]

June 21, 1998... ZENtertainment creator Sean Jordan was the first to break details of the script's storyline last April. Jordan reports that the script essentially covers the first four issues of the comic series and features characters Arseface and the Saint of Killers. ZEN also links comic book savvy director Rachel Talalay (Tank Girl) as having optioned the project. [Thanks to ZENtertainment for permission to reprint their story.]

August 4, 1998... If you've been reading the Vertigo comic book, then you'll remember a cover from about six months ago that had Jesse and Tulip on the cover. Nothing strange with that, right? Well, if you go and look back you'll see regular cover artist Glenn Fabry painted the likenesses of Jesse and Tulip just a bit different this time -- more in the likeness of two well-known Hollywood stars, Johnny Depp and Patricia Arquette.

Well, instead of Depp, we can now report that Christian Slater was being wooed for the role of big-screen Jesse but has most likely passed on the role. We don't know if Patricia Arquette is still being kept in mind for the part of Tulip or if that also has changed. [Listen to 'The Big Shemp' -- he knows the score.]

Another different scooper may be able to illuminate some light on the dreamcasting (a term originated by CA's "Widgett") of Rev. Jesse Custer. This new anonymous person reports of overhearing whispers that Rufus Sewell (Dark City) is also being considered for the role of Jesse, while Gary Oldman (Lost in Space) and Tim Roth (Reservoir Dogs) could be contending for the part of Cassidy. (For the record our vote is for Tim.) [Anonymous.]

August 11, 1998... We should have mentioned in our August 4th update that even though we've heard that Slater was looking into starring as Jesse, Depp was also being considered by at least some of the project's creative team. [Anonymous and anonymous, we thank you.]

August 18, 1998... Garth Ennis told a packed audience at last weekend's San Diego Comic Convention that "I haven't a clue about who's going to be cast in the film, so don't ask me that!" However Ennis could reveal that he's handed in a third draft of his Preacher script and "everyone seems to like it." Ennis also revealed that he's planning on starting other original screenplays sometime in the closing months of 1998. [Reported by Patrick Sauriol.]

So, like, with CA's Director in the audience last weekend listening to Garth talk about the Preacher movie, you think this is the closest we could get to hearing the real deal, straight-from-the-horses-mouth type of information, right? I mean, Patrick didn't get the chance to ask the man any questions himself but he did politely ask Garth if he could move just a little over so he could take his pool shot at the party at the Hyatt.

Well it seems CA's Director has a new reason to kick himself in the ass. Our scooper, who's proven himself to CA on more than a few occasions that he's got a direct line to all things cool concerning comic book writers across the pond drops this majorly cool scoop on you lot. The following comes direct from Garth Ennis to the readers of CA:

All the rumors surrounding casting are just that -- rumors. But there's a kernel of legitimacy with the Christian Slater rumor we were scooped at the beginning of this month. Y'see, Ennis' manager is a fellow by the name of J.C. Spink. Spink has said that he'd like Slater in the role of Jesse, and that information was related to CA through 'The Big Shemp', a source that wants to remain anonymous but that is not connected to Spink or his company. But Garth was cool enough to share with us online fans this and the following additional bits of info through our scooper:

The Preacher film is only currently in option, and although Garth Ennis has written the script it may not be the one that gets to the screen. The script is based on the first six or so episodes of the comic and focuses heavilly on The Saint of Killers. The Good Ole Boys will not be in the story.

That be it. [You can thank Garth Ennis and 'SCCAMMER' for giving you the latest. Patrick didn't make the pool shot.]

August 23, 1998... J.C. Spink, Garth Ennis' manager, clears the air. We were told earlier that Spink would be a producer of the film; Spink assures us that he is not producing the film at all; he's only Ennis' manager. [Thanks to J.C. Spink.]

September 28, 1998... Warren Ellis reportedly had this to say about buddy Garth Ennis' foray into screenwriting with his adaptation of Preacher: "And, yes, Garth has written a PREACHER movie script, and I've read it. Not quite what I was expecting, but a good laugh nonetheless. It adapts PREACHER for the movies rather more loosely than I would've considered wise, but it seems to work." It seems to work. Collective sigh of relief. [Thanks to Duncan for setting our minds at ease.]

September 30, 1998... Fanboy casting? Rumor? Truth? "Could it be? Lance Henriksen (Aliens, Dead Man) as the Saint of Killers?" I have no clue, but it sounds cool, eh? ['Anonymous Bosh' gave us an excerpt from his latest mural.]

November 3, 1998... We recently ran into The Drunken Surgeon, spy extraordinaire, in the liquor aisle of County General. Among other tidbits, he gave us these comments about the Preacher casting rumors that recently popped up on Ain't it Cool News, which the Surgeon got from an "inside source": "I [mentioned] the Preacher movie casting that Harry's spy mentioned, she burst out laughing (especially the Sam Jackson thing [rumored to be The Saint of Killers -ed.]). Apparently it's a lot of bullshit and/or wishful thinking, considering the very real possibility that the movie may never even get made. Ennis has finished a recent draft of the screenplay and [my contact] said it reads okay, though not as good as the book (some of it's pretty wobbly -- "movified" [my contact] called it). It still contains enough religious controversy to potentially keep it from getting off the ground...it would take a serious amount of interest by an actor and a lot of backing by Warners. Right now there's not a lot of buzz on it, especially given the onslaught of religion-based projects upcoming or in the works, and the situation at Warners (cruddy movies, the Superman debacle). On top of that, the movie is still only an option -- Ennis could sell off the rights if the interest and the money was there (true he said he never would do that but I bet say, a cool million, is a considerable incentive). To bottom line it, there is currently no budget and no casting, anything you see is merely conjecture." [Thanks to The Drunken Surgeon. His left hand's steady as a rock, but he cuts with his right hand.]

But if the project's still in the early stages, why then did Storm Entertainment take out a huge ad in Variety last week proclaiming that pre-production on Preacher has begun? But that wasn't the most startling development -- the ad generated huge ripples among fans of Kevin Smith: he's listed as an executive producer with film! [Thanks to an anonymous mole.]

December 8, 1998... Psst. Come closer and we'll tell you secrets. That's right. Come closer...closer...closer still...

There. Ready?

Financing is in place for the Preacher film. That means a significant hurdle has been overcome by the creative team assembling the project and, from the looks of it, the film is almost out of development hell. Rupert Harvey and Michael Heuser are the producers.

Offers are out to four individuals to play the lead roles: Ben Affleck (Jesse); Cameron Diaz (Tulip); Robert Carlysle (Cassidy); and Samuel L. Jackson. Bear in mind that these are not confirmed castings...merely that pleasantaries have either or are shortly about to be exchanged. We're not certain which role Jackson's up for consideration right now. Earlier reports that originated on AICN and that were later squelched on here indicated he could be considered for the Saint of Killers. Yeah, it's true that in the comic the Saint is white, but c'mon -- Sam's got that look that'll stop you cold in your boots. That alone makes him our choice for the Saint.

You heard it here first, amigos. Stay close for more news as it breaks. [Thanks to our anonymous source up on Boot Hill.]

December 14, 1998... We've confirmed that the part of The Saint of Killers has been offered to Samuel L. Jackson. Whether or not Jackson or his agent have read the comic or know about the character remains to be seen.

Shortly after talking to Our Source that confirmed the role Jackson had been offered, we used that trick Jesse Custer has been known to employ on occasion: The Word of Genesis: "Spill the beans about the film. We want phone numbers, and we want them now."

That's how we got the number for Rupert Harvey, one of the two main producers of Preacher. He's been working for a year-and-a-half setting up this film, and when we spoke to him he was enthusiastic about the potential to create a faithful film adaptation of the comic. Harvey also stated "One of the reasons I started this was to protect what was great about the comic. We're going to give it our best shot."

Harvey helped raise the financing needed to push the film ahead without any studio backing whatsoever; that itself means that they'll be free to make the film independently without any restrictions a major film studio adapation of Preacher might have been imposed with. Harvey said that, if he had to compare what he conceived the tone of the film would be like, he said it would be of a more "European" feel, meaning the gloves would be off and we'd get to see the same sort of irreverent Preacher style of storytelling that's made Ennis' series the flagship of DC's Vertigo line of comics. Harvey remained open to the possibility that a major studio may wish to distrubute Preacher, but right now it was a totally independent production.

Casting decisions will hopefully begin shortly after the start of the new year. Harvey said that he was especially hopeful that they could sign deals with all of their first choices of actors for the roles. We asked if they had considered or approached anybody yet for the role of the tragic lad known as Arseface. While he didn't mention anyone in particular, he did say he has someone in mind. We were about to use The Word again but he hung up before we could ask him -- and he didn't pick up the phone when we called back. Damn! [Our thanks to Rupert Harvey for the cool i-view -- we'll getcha next time.]

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