It looks like John August, the writer of such films as Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Corpse Bride, and the Charlie’s Angels, is currently working on writing an adaptation of the great Preacher series. Straight from the horse’s mouth:

Other places are suddenly reporting it, so I might as well confirm the news: I’m writing a big-screen version of Preacher, an adaptation of the acclaimed graphic novel series by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. Sam Mendes is attached to direct. Neal Moritz is producing for Sony Pictures.

To answer your first four questions: there’s no release date, no cast, no locations, no nothing. I’m writing a script which could become a movie if everything lines up correctly. So here’s hoping. It’s a terrific project that I’m excited to be writing.

I love Preacher, one of the best comics I have ever read, and I would love to see it done right… however, I am just not sure they could cover the whole story in a film or two… I know the idea of making it an HBO miniseries was thrown around at some point and there’s a part of me that wonders if that may be the better medium to allow them to encompass the entire story, maybe it’s just me. Also, I’m torn about John August, loved Big Fish, hated Charlie’s Angels… as with all things in development, we will just have to wait and see.