AMC Gives Preacher a Series Order

NEW YORK: AMC has ordered a new series based on the popular '90s comic-book franchise Preacher, with Seth Rogen among the executive producers.

Preacher was created by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. The Sony Pictures Television and AMC Studios co-production was developed for television by Rogen and Evan Goldberg (This Is the End, Superbad, Neighbors) and showrunner Sam Catlin (Breaking Bad). Rogen and Goldberg will produce the series through their Point Grey banner, along with Neal Moritz’s Original Film. AMC has ordered ten one-hour episodes, with an expected premiere date in mid-2016.

The series centers on a conflicted preacher in a small Texas town who is inhabited by a mysterious entity that allows him to develop a highly unconventional power. Along with his ex-girlfriend and an Irish vampire, he embarks on a journey to find God (literally).

“Garth Ennis’ Preacher is, above all, about great characters—something we look for in all of our series,” said Joel Stillerman, the president of original programming and development for AMC and SundanceTV. “The fact that it is also darkly funny, has some great supernatural elements, and takes us on an incredible adventure is just the icing on the cake. The incredible creative team behind this show—led by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Sam Catlin and Neal Moritz—made a pilot that completely blew us away, and we know the series will satisfy and surprise fans of the comics, and captivate fans of great TV everywhere.”

“We started reading the comic when it first came out in the '90s,” added Rogen and Goldberg. “In many ways Garth’s sense of drama and comedy and Steve Dillon’s visual aesthetic helped form our style, and the idea that we are actually bringing Preacher to life is a dream come true. This is the craziest thing ever and we can’t wait to move forward and work our asses off to make it the best it can be."

Catlin said: “Couldn’t be more happy with Sony/AMC’s decision to bring Garth’s amazing Preacher to television. Can’t wait to spend some quality time with vampires, psychopaths, rednecks and God.”