AMC orders pilot for 'Preacher' comic book adaptation from Seth Rogen

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) - AMC has given a pilot order to "Preacher," a drama adapted by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg from the comic book series about a maverick clergyman in Texas.

Sam Catlin wrote the adaptation for Neal Moritz's Original Film and will serve as showrunner. Rogen and Goldberg are exec producing through their Point Grey banner, along with Catlin.

The project, a co-production of Sony Pictures Television and AMC Studios, was a hot property when it was shopped to cable buyers earlier this year. There had been talk of a straight-to-series order but at present it is a pilot.

"'Preacher' has been our favorite comic since it first came out," said Rogen and Goldberg, who are also attached to direct. "Garth Ennis is one of our idols and it's an incredible honor to be working on this. We promise we won't make too many dick jokes and ruin it."

Based on Ennis and Steve Dillon's '90s comic book series, "Preacher" is about Jesse Custer, a preacher in a Texas town who merges with a creature that has escaped from heaven and develops the ability to make anyone do anything he says. Along with his ex-girlfriend, Tulip, and an Irish vampire named Cassidy, the three embark on a journey to find God.

"Every once in a while you find a project where all the elements line up beautifully. With 'Preacher,' it starts with a bold, compelling, and thought-provoking comic book series from Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon and a whole lot of fans who already know Jesse Custer, Cassidy, and Tulip," said Joel Stillerman, AMC's executive vice president of original programming, production and digital content. "Add to that the passionate and talented Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and Sam Catlin, an incredible producing team in Neal Moritz, the Original Film team and our good friends at Sony Pictures Television, and we have everything we need to be very excited to move forward on 'Preacher.'"

The pilot will be produced next summer for series consideration in 2016. Moritz, Vivian Cannon and Ori Marmur are exec producers for Original Film, along with Kevin Levin and Jason Netter. Ennis and Dillon will serve as co-exec producers.

AMC had a few other high-profile scripts in works, including "Bombingham," the period drama from "True Blood" alum Alexander Woo, but opted not to move forward with any other pilot orders beyond "Preacher."

Correction: The script for "Preacher" was written by Sam Catlin, not Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.