It may seem like just another comic book adaptation, but AMC’s PREACHER is turning out to be the latest hit show that packs a punch. The television series is developed by Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen and Sam Catlin (of Breaking Bad fame). It stars Dominic Cooper in the lead role and is not your average superhero-in-tights series, but a darker, more explicit version of one.
Preacher is the story of a man by the name of Jesse Custer, played by Dominic Cooper, who reluctantly returns to his hometown of Annville to take over his father’s place as the local preacher. He is a man of little faith, but keeps up his pretentious piety for Sunday worship. Secretly, he is an alcoholic on the verge of a downward spiral. His ex-girlfriend, Tulip played by Ruth Negga is a gun-toting femme fatale, back in the picture to haunt Jesse and pull him further into his darkness. He has a best friend too, Cassidy played by Joseph Gilgun, who is actually an Irish vampire. With the main cast being a trio of strong players, there is no doubt that there is going to be a lot of action and blood spilled everywhere, along with rampant use of expletives.
The comics themselves tell the story of Jesse who is possessed by the supernatural being, Genesis – the resultant creation of an angel and a demon mating. God abandons his throne upon this birth, and when Jesse is overtaken by the creature, he receives a mix of good and evil and becomes the potentially most powerful being on earth. He goes on a journey to find God, but on the way has to tackle a lot of demons and vampire killers, along with his feisty girlfriend Tulip and vampire best friend Cassidy.
The Pilot for Season 1 aired on May 29, 2016 and was directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. It received rave reviews, with an average of 91% ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. The next episode will air a week from now, on June 5, 2016. It is still not confirmed if the producers will stick to the comic book stories or diverge and create their own made-for-screen version of the troubled Preacher.
