'Preacher' series makes HBO
'Preacher' series makes HBO

By Matthew Price

Published: June 29, 2007

Following the box-office success of "Ghost Rider,” writer/director Mark Steven Johnson has set his sights on "Preacher,” based on the comic book that ran from 1995-2000.

"Preacher,” created by writer Garth Ennis and artist Steve Dillon, follows a down-on-his-luck Texas preacher who merges with a supernatural force.

His voice then becomes his power, as anyone who hears it must do what he says.

The preacher, Jesse Custer, teams with his ex-girlfriend, Tulip, and an Irish vampire named Cassidy to journey across America in an attempt to find God. "Preacher” is in development as an HBO series.

"I wrote the pilot, which HBO really digs, and they asked me and Garth to write up a bible for season 1, which we did, and that's going great, too, so everything's looking good,” Johnson said.

"It's all cautiously moving forward.”

Johnson said he has a lot of affinity for the material, which had painted covers by Glenn Fabry.

"It's my favorite project. I've been putting all my time and energy into that, making it happen, because if I could have an HBO ‘Preacher' series to run, I'd be the happiest man in the world,” Johnson said.

Johnson said the series would be faithful to the comics but also add additional subplots and story lines.

"It's everything that's in the books, plus stuff,” Johnson said. "Ideas of Garth's, and I've been writing up different missing story lines of these characters, if you will. ... Everything hand-in-hand with Garth.”

At one time, a movie version, in connection with Kevin Smith's View Askew production company and others, was in development. Oklahoma's James Marsden ("X-Men”) was offered the role of Jesse Custer.

"That was something I got real excited about for a while,” Marsden said in a recent interview.

"I had just done ‘X-Men,' and there were a few people who had the rights, who were approaching me, who thought I'd be good for it.”

Marsden said he wasn't familiar with the material but was "blown away” upon reading the graphic novels.

"I was prepared to be reading like a DC Comic, like a superhero thing, and I was not prepared for how dark it was, for how intelligently written it was, and how great those characters are, and how unique the stories are,” he said.

"The social commentary in those comics is pretty astounding.”

Unfortunately, financing fell through on the movie, ending Marsden's journey with "Preacher.”

"It's a whole new group of people, and they're doing their thing. I'm not involved,” Marsden said. "But I'll definitely be one of the fans and be interested in how it turns out.”