The blueprint used to turn Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead comic book into TV's number 1 show may be used again for AMC's second comic book adaptation, Preacher. Showrunners Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and Sam Catlin revealed some interesting tidbits during their recent Winter TCA panel. "We talked with Garth [Ennis] and he very much encouraged us to make a lot of small changes and make it a good show first and foremost. We want fans to get everything they loved of the comic and still get some twists and turns."
This strategy has obviously worked for AMC as the show has gone on to colossal ratings success. However, it's split comic book fans that are familiar with the source material who wish the show would follow comic book cannon a little more closely. However, the Kirkman has stated on several occasions that even if the network wanted to make a page-for-page adaptation of the comic, it would be impossible due to budget and censorship constraints. The same rules and restrictions likely apply to Preacher as well. Plus, those who are first introduced to the material through the TV show may feel compelled to buy the comic, a scenario that's played out beautifully for The Walking Dead and routinely made the trade paperback collections of the series some of the highest selling graphic novels for nearly the last six years.
Preacher will premiere at March's annual SXSW panel in Texas before officially debuting sometime later on AMC.
Based on the twisted and popular ‘90s comic book franchise of the same name, “Preacher,” created by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, is the story of Jesse Custer (Dominic Cooper) a conflicted Preacher in a small Texas town who is inhabited by a mysterious entity that allows him to develop a highly unconventional power. Jesse, his ex-girlfriend, Tulip (Ruth Negga), and an Irish vampire named Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun) embark on a journey to, literally, find God. The Sony Pictures Television and AMC Studios co-production was developed for television by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg (“This Is the End,” “Superbad,” “Neighbors”) and showrunner Sam Catlin (“Breaking Bad”). The series is set to premiere mid-2016.