This deal that Mendes has signed includes the acquisition of two projects that could be potential directing vehicles for him. One of them is called Butcher's Crossing, an epic adventure based on the 1960 revisionist Western novel by John Williams. The other is Middlemarch, an adaptation of the George Eliot novel about changing fortunes in a provincial English community in the early 1830s.
Both sound very "Mendes" to me! Much more so that the ultra controversial comic book by Garth Ennis, "Preacher". Its likely that "Preacher" will now be either put on the backburner or move to another director altogether.
Variety says that Sam "has not committed to his next film as a director." Although, it sounds like it will probably be either Butcher's Crossing or Middlemarch. "The range of Sam's interests and skills as a filmmaker is limitless, and he is a magnet for top talent in front of and behind the camera,"
Fantastic! So get him moving on "Preacher" for Satans sake!