Seth Rogen's Preacher Adaptation Going To Pilot

US TV network AMC have officially ordered a pilot episode of ‘Preacher,’ the DC Vertigo comic book adaptation being shepherded by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and ex-‘Breaking Bad’ writer Sam Catlin.

It’s been over a year since comedy superstar Rogen first let slip that he and his longtime writing partner Goldberg had plans to adapt writer Garth Ennis and artist Steve Dillon’s highly acclaimed, yet highly controversial 1990s series for television.

Still, up until now it had been by no means certain that the project would go before cameras at all - and it certainly isn’t a foregone conclusion that a series will follow. Nonetheless, Variety report that the pilot episode “will be produced in the summer of 2015 for series consideration in 2016.”

This report also confirms that Rogen and Goldberg, already confirmed to write the pilot episode, will also direct. The duo previously directed ‘This is the End,’ and the upcoming, also-provocative comedy ‘The Interview.’

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For those unfamiliar with ‘Preacher,’ it follows the violent, foul-mouthed misadventures of Jesse Custer, a disillusioned small-town Texan minister whose life is irrevocably changed when he is merged with Genesis, a mysterious ethereal being which has literally broken out of Heaven itself. This imbues Custer with ‘the Word of God’ - the power to command anyone to do anything, whether they want to or not.

Discovering that God has abandoned his post in Heaven and is AWOL somewhere on Earth, Custer sets out with his hit-woman ex-girlfriend Tulip and his vampire best friend Cassidy, to track God down and hold him accountable - a quest which sees him come up against a great many bizarre adversaries.

Though published by DC, as part of its Vertigo imprint it is not considered part of the broader DC universe, so don’t expect any crossovers with ‘Arrow’ or ‘The Flash.’

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From that brief synopsis alone, it shouldn’t be hard to see why ‘Preacher’ has been so controversial - and the riskiness of the subject matter has frequently been cited as the key reason all previous attempts to film the property have failed.

A number of directors have attempted to adapt the comic book to the big screen over the years, most notably Sam Mendes, who was attached in the late 2000s.

A TV adaptation also came close to getting off the ground at HBO several years back, with Mark Steven Johnson (filmmaker behind ‘Daredevil’ and ‘Ghost Rider’) as showrunner.

Rogen and Goldberg declare, “’Preacher’ has been our favorite comic since it first came out. Garth Ennis is one of our idols and it’s an incredible honor to be working on this. We promise we won’t make too many dick jokes and ruin it.”

'Preacher' creators Ennis and Dillon are also noted for their work on 'Hellblazer,' the first John Constantine solo comic book. Fans will no doubt be hoping that 'Preacher' fares a little better on TV than 'Constantine,' whose first season was recently cut short, prompting fears that it may face the axe already.

Meanwhile, Rogen and Goldberg’s ‘The Interview’ opens in UK cinemas on 6 February 2015.

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Picture Credit: DC/Vertigo, WENN