Preacher: An HBO Original Series

Even though an HBO series will never happen, I can’t help but wonder how great it would be to see some kickass opening credits. As you know, HBO has a knack for having memorable opening credit sequences even for their shitty shows. What I have in my head is a TV that turns on inside a church, and you see the back outline of a body(obviously Custer’s)watching the TV, and on TV is a montage of religious propaganda garbage being watched by faceless, mindless drones who are letting themselves be led by people abusing the power of religion. Kind of like a pious version of Ridley Scott's "1984" commercial for Apple.

On the monitor we see close up shots of Snake oil Merchant Televangelists crying, stock footage of Middle Eastern Turmoil, that asshole who has that sign saying “God Hates Faggots”, Swedish death metal idiots slathered in corpse-paint, people snake dancing and various other acts of weird religious ritual- all set to Killing Joke’s “The Death and Resurrection Show”. In fact, when the lyrics of “Put on your masks…and your animal skins” we see Custer put on his collar and leather boots. As “Death and Resurrection Show” intensifies to it’s crescendo, we see Custer run through the main aisle of the church with unwashed masses still watching the TV set. Each stained glass window is exploding as Custer runs closer to the TV. Once Custer gets close enough to the gigantic TV, he hurls a cinderblock at it; resembling a shot put Olympic thrower as the opening song reaches it’s sonic climax. Once the sparks simmer and cool down we get up an up close shot of the cinderblock with the show’s title written on it:

PREACHER

Show Runner: Mark Steven Johnson(just for the "oh shit!" factor that if he came though and knocked this out of the park. Nothing in his past work suggests that he could make this show worth anything).

Writers: Mark Steven Johnson, Darin Morgan, Katherine Dunn, Elizabeth Sarnoff, Eric Red, Jennifer Salt, Joe R. Landsdale

Directors: Kathryn Bigelow, Rodrigo Garcia, Todd Field, Kimberly Pierce, Michael Almereyda, Gregg Araki, Walter Hill, Alan Taylor

Cast:

Jesse Custer- Jeremy Sisto

Tulip- Katee Sackhoff

Cassidy-Sharlto Copley

Herr Starr- Jason Issacs

Jody-Michael Shannon

Arseface-Johnathon Tayor Thomas

Maybe I'm typing into the void, but I read all the collected editions in a real quick succession, but as shaggy as some of the stories got I felt that the characters hit all the right beats. However, I do realize that not all of it can work onscreen? If it were up to me, I would take out the "Reaver Clever" storyline, or retool it somehow to not take place in New York City. Maybe Dallas or Houston? In fact, I would try real hard to keep as much of the show in Texas as possible. This is impossible when trying to get in depth with The Grail storylines.

Any thoughts? Suggestions? Bitches and complaints? I really don't mind having this a catch-all fanboy fantasy wankfest over Preacher and anything Ennis, really. It's pretty much that already with every word I just typed.

Excellent point! I agree wholeheartedly.

I guess I should have been more clear in that keeping it in Texas as much as possible would for practical, fiscal reasons. But you're right that the trek throughout the country, and the globe really, do inform all the characters growth later on as the series winds down.

No idea why I'm trying to think "practical" in a messege board forum labeled "wishful thinking", but I do know that a trilogy is not what I would want for these characters. That's just a typical way to go, and if the actors and crew behind the scenes are so in love with these characters as I am; that's just not enough to completely fill out the character arcs IMVHO. I guess I'm just fatigued with everything having to be a trilogy. No disrespect.

Regardless of what approach anyone takes with Preacher, whether it be a TV series or film trilogy, whoever adapts it-in whatever medium-needs to have stainless titanium adamantium balls. Writers, producers, and directors. The comic is just absolutely insane.

And last, but not definitely not least:

Honestly, if Sisto never made Kidnapped, I would have never even begun to consider him for Custer. I didn't pick him because I saw some random picture of him dressed as a priest. Sisto, maybe a little too Noo Yoorkish granted, really brought a tough guy dimension to his character that I never realize he could ever be convincingly. It's the same can of tough guy act that Custer has where his foes always underestimate him. The character Sisto played in Kidnapped is similar.

Plus, since I'm fanwanking Preacher as a TV show, it seems like he wouldn't mind being in it for the long haul. There's my weird "practical mind" thinking again for some reason. I need to cut it out.

However, I'm open minded to Kaas. Any particular performance you can recommend? I'd love to check him out.

Also, thanks for the kind words people! Even though this is a bullshit session I started, I did at least put some thought(maybe a little too much thought)into it.

Elliot, Henrikson, and also mention Scott Glenn are all ideal choices for The Saint. However, for my liking, they're too on the nose.

In starting this thread you can see that I didn't cast The Saint because, in complete honesty, I didn't know who I would pick. In fact, I was afraid too. Casting The Saint of Killers is like revealing Mohommad. You just don't do it.

Kidding aside, I just put a random search for The Saint just for some images and it turns out someone in this vast cyberspace already suggested Levine. That's more my style.

Another debit with all the prior actors mentioned above is that they are rail skinny. The Saint seems to have a big prescence in every context; including physical body shape.

Ted Levine has a gravel tinged voice that can clearly convey gravitas. He's also built like a linebacker, and has a surprisingly untapped scary aura. That's why I think he's the best choice.

Very interesting choice, and fits the criteria that I said in a prior post.

However, my imaginary world is going to have disapprove. Only because of Carnivale's sudden cancellation. I wouldn't want Brown to have that heartache again if my imaginary HBO show gets the same fate.

Yeah, I'm weird.

This is out of the box thinking, yet strangely practical. I like it!

Don't know if I would choose James Woods for Starr, though. Has he ever played a European before? That's why I'm not registering this suggestion. Even though the role is really short, he would have KILLED as closet case supercop Paulie Bridges.

I disagree about Arseface, at least to an extent.

Yeah, I can see the arguement that Ennis created him purely for the sake of shock value. I might even agree with that, but if a Preacher show were to be a reality, and if it's anything like the comic it would be character rich--provided if the show had good showrunners. What's cool about Custer is that he gradually mellows out, and does a lot of self reflecting. Custer's character arc in a show, or movie, should be the same outcome.

Now, I don't have the trades on hand to hammer home my point, but one of the incidents that starts to allievate Custer's righteous indignation is when Arseface finally confronts Custer to exact revenge. As horrifically comical as Arseface's appearance is, his return is anything but funny.

I can't recall Custer and co's reaction to Arseface holding them at gunpoint, but I can tell you that Custer gives pause when Arseface mumbles to Custer about Sheriff Root's suicide. In fact, this makes Custer feel rotten. After Arseface starts to cool from Custer's geninue admission of guilt, that's when you tie his arc off. End him getting a music deal, but keep him in the absolute background. Have his face on concert posters, or a background news item, etc. Just never make him a real pivitol charcter. Also, don't show Gene Sergeant at all.

To sum up: Arseface's purpose is to illuminate Custer's carelessness.

I think that standalone Jody story is the weak link.

Three Casting Ideas for "You-Know-Who"

Okay, time to get rid of that JTT joke suggestion. Here are some ideas for Arseface which can be catagorized as "good", "bad", and "dude, that was pretty uncool".

Good(My choice):

James Ransone



Bad(yet inspired. This idea is thanks to the collective thoughts of the entire internet.) POSSIBLY NOT SAFE FOR WORK

Here's the "Dude, not cool" choice.

I REALLY really like that idea, and I'll throw another "cool!" dimension to it: Don't give any of the actors credit for "Arseface". Have the viewer guess each actor. Kind of like Keanu Reeves in Freaked, or what Gary Oldman wanted to do in Hannibal.

But it is tempting to fancast Arseface with hipster actors. Hence my "bad"(I do think he's talented, though)choice in an earlier post.

I gotta admit, this would make me LOL if it were to really happen.

I'll concede that a lil bit of Arseface goes a LOOONG way, but I think there is fun to be had with the character. That dream sequence he has with the asses in heaven(is that how that went down?)should never EVER be realized in motion. That's absolutely the first thing any smart showrunner should cut out. Don't even consider it.

Concerning Mark Steven Johnson: you're probably right, but I don't like the preconcieved notions that -and I loathe to use this word to describe people - fanboys have when someone they don't want gets associated with a project that they would hold dear. I'm a "Okay, not my pick, but let's see what that person's got" kind of guy, for better or worse.

But let's say Mark Steven Johnson did get his Preacher show made. And let's say he gets all around great talent- in writers, directors, and actors - tailored made for Preacher to help him out. And let's say that he cherry picks all the great moments from the series, adds new dimension to the show where it's needed yet retaining the spirit of the comic, but prunes all the unnecessary narrative tangents out.

Yeah, it will never EVER happen. But it would be cool to see someone who's done a lot of wrong knock a long shot out of the park.

You'll have to excuse my optomism, but I'm a guy who likes having his preconcieved notions challenged, and invalidated.

hahahahaha WTF?!?!?!!?

Strangely, this makes me want to see Harrison Ford shoot a double gage shotgun into the sky, and yell "Martian Niggers!!!!"

Wishful thinking, indeed.