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Preacher will return in 2017

Speaking of Preacher, this headline hardly constitutes a shocking surprise, but checking Amazon’s graphic novel best sellers list , Preacher Volume #1 is now the #2 seller (and #124 book overall) just behind the Kindle edition of The Hedge Knight, a Song of Fire and Ice spinoff based on a George R. R. Martin novel. […]

Funko, home of the most adorable and collectible figures has unveiled a (not final) Pop! Television line for Preacher, the new AMC TV series based on the classic comic. We get TV versions of Jesse, Cassidy and Arseface, but….no Tulip? I guess even cute figurine collectors don’t like girls. Seriously, Preacher is about Jesse, Tulip […]

I finally saw the first episode of Preacher, based on the Garth Ennis,- Steve Dillon Vertigo classic last night; “finally” even though it won’t air until the official premiere on Sunday, this episode has been screened at cons and events for a few months now, and review copies have been floating around. I like to […]

Garth Ennis is  having his moment with the debut of the AMC tv series based on Preacher coming on this Sunday, May 22 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on AMC. YOu can catch the man himself in converstion with producer Seth Rogen and the stars Dominic Cooper, Ruth Negga and Joseph Gilgun tonight at the 92nd Street Y […]

It’s Friday, so we’re about to call it a weekend over here on the Entertainment side of The Beat, but here’s a couple of quick items of interest: Marvel and Netflix’s Iron Fist has added its second cast member, following Finn Jones as Danny Rand, as the series has enlisted another Game of Thrones alum […]

On Friday, in a small back meeting room of the Los Angeles Convention Center we talked for a few minutes  with the executive producer Sam Catlin from AMC’s Preacher along with Jesse Custer and Tulip O’Hare themselves Dominic Cooper and Ruth Negga. Along with development from Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, executive producer Sam Catlin knows […]

Tonight fans at Wondercon got to see the entire pilot episode of Preacher. While we gather our thoughts after talking with Dominic Cooper, Ruth Negga, and producer Sam Catlin from AMC’s new show; here’s a first look at character fans of Garth Ennis story will undoubtedly recognize.

In the wake of The Walking Dead‘s on-going (and growing) success, AMC is gearing up for what it hopes is its next big comic book success. Here’s hoping they find it in Preacher, their adaptation of Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon’s critically acclaimed DC/Vertigo series. The series pilot is set to debut on Sunday, May […]

AMC's Vertigo adaptation adds its villain

During tonight’s episode of The Walking Dead, AMC premiered the first trailer for their upcoming adaptation of Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon’s DC/Vertigo series Preacher. Starring Dominic Cooper in the lead, along with Joseph Gilgun and Ruth Negga, AMC’s hopes are high that the Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg produced series will be their next […]

We've got the lowdown on the new high-flying WWII series from Preacher scribe Garth Ennis out November 4th.

I’ve always thought Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg would have been the perfect writing team for a rebooted Spider-Man, certainly far better than the team that mishandled the Vacation reboot is likely to give us. But, as this duo is about to gear up for what AMC is surely hoping will be their next big comics-based […]

One of my favorite FL comedians!

Preacher Jovan Lawson notices an important omission in how women work out. Here he is, developing the bit at Diverse Word, but it's already perfect! Preacher, I can't wait to see your inevitable Comedy Central Special!

(Filmed w iPhone, Diverse Word open mic, host: Shawn Welcome; every Tuesday @ 7:30pm, Dandelion Communitea Cafe)

– My favorite discovery from the 2014 television season has to be Cartoon Network’s Rick and Morty, which takes the character relationship of Doc and Marty (more or less) from Back to the Future and transplants them into Doctor Who style adventures with some the sharpest humor I’ve seen in an animated program since Archer first hit the air. The series, created by Dan Harmon (Community) and Justin Roiland, has had its first season available on Blu-ray for awhile now. If you can handle some cruder, gross-out moments, I highly recommend it.

This week, Cartoon Network announced that Rick and Morty will return on Sunday, July 26th. Additionally, Roiland and Harmon guest-wrote the couch gag for the upcoming season finale of The Simpsons, which you can watch below:

– Speaking of The Simpsons, yesterday saw the news that Harry Shearer, the longtime voice of characters like Ned Flanders, Principal Skinner, and many other members of the show’s rich world, would be parting ways with the series. According to some reports, there’s still a chance that Shearer may come to terms with the show’s producers, but the roles are expected to be recast at this point.

I haven’t watched The Simpsons in years, but I’m hoping this paves the way for a Spinal Tap reunion.

– From the set of Captain America: Civil War, via JustJared, here’s the first image of Crossbones’ costume:

– Seth Rogen tweeted out the first on-set image from AMC’s Preacher last night, which sees Dominic Cooper’s Jesse Custer talking with Ian Colletti’s Arseface:

– According to Collider, the sequel to Dawn of the Planet of the Apes now has a title: War of the Planet of the Apes. It’s a bit of a mouth-full, but I guess no one would go see a movie called “Monkey Fight”, which I was lobbying pretty hard for.

– Lastly, there’s a pretty great True Detective Season 2 teaser out now via HBO. I may be more excited about this premiere than any other show this year, even the Mad Men finale!

It’s Friday! Here a few of the Entertainment-related headlines that just hit the wire:

– After weeks of negotiations, AMC has found its lead for its adaptation of DC Comics/Vertigo’s Preacher, and it’s a face familiar to comic book movie fans: Dominic Cooper. The British actor, who you surely recognize as the younger face of Howard Stark (Mad Men‘s John Slattery plays him in his middle aged years) in Captain America: The First Avenger and Agent Carter, will be playing the role of Jesse Custer, with production on the pilot beginning this summer. Preacher‘s Executive Producer Seth Rogen confirmed the news on twitter today.

For you Garth Ennis experts out there, what do you think about this casting choice? Did AMC make the right move?

- 12 Years A Slave is easily one of my favorite films of this decade, and one of the only movies that’s moved me to near-tears in the theater. It is truly that moving and engrossing. So, it was with great shock today that I saw EW reporting that its screenwriter (and winner of the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for his work on the film) John Ridley is teaming up with Marvel for a mysterious television project aiming to reinvent an existing Marvel character for ABC. This project is reportedly a separate entity altogether from the already announced Agents of SHIELD spin-off that’s in the works.

Given that it’s for ABC, something like the Punisher seems like a no-go, and really, neither does Blade (both of which Marvel recently regained the rights to back to a few years back). I’ll keep my fingers crossed for Moon Knight perhaps, but really any guess is a good one at this point.

Ridley is no stranger to comics, having written The Authority and the graphic novel The American Way.

– Yes, we know all about the leaked Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice trailer, and we won’t be posting it here for obvious reasons. Plus, the presentable version will make its way online by Monday, if not over the weekend. We’ll hold out for that. In the meantime, here’s a related unconfirmed rumor, according to Jeff Sneider (of TheWrap) on his latest episode of Meet the Movie Press, he stated that the Green Lantern that we’ll see in the 2020 reboot (and presumably the Zack Snyder directed Justice League films) will be John Stewart.

Sneider’s sources on this kind of information are generally pretty strong, so there’s likely something to this. Many fans had hoped/figured the new Green Lantern post-Ryan Reynolds would be Stewart given the younger audiences greater familiarity with the character over Hal Jordan thanks to the Justice League animated series.

Plus, he’s just an awesome character. Green Lantern: Mosaic anyone?

The Preacher pilot is HAPPENING. I never believed this day would come. Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon’s scabrous, epic take on religion, armageddon and personal honor is still violent and shocking. But it’s happening.

They’ve cast Tulip (Ruth Negga)

And Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun)

And Arseface (Ian Colletti)

But who will play Jesse Custer? The main man, the fallen preacher whose power allow him to take on God himself?

Maybe it should be Matt Ryan, who plays the almost sure to not return Constantine.

After all, Constantine and Jesse Custer look a lot alike.

Actually, the front runner is said to be Dominic Cooper, who also has a strong resemblance to Howard Stark. This is all getting very confusing.

Happy SDCC Hotelpocalypse everyone! Here’s hoping all your dreams come true in 48 hours. The rest of you are far smarter to not put yourself through the sleepless nights and stress.

Here’s today’s big Entertainment headlines:

POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THE FIRST ITEM

– Latino Review dropped a Captain Marvel rumor today, here’s the gist of it. They hear that Marvel has already cast the role of Carol Danvers and are keeping it tightly under wraps. We’ll be getting our first glimpse of her in Age of Ultron they report, as has been reported for a few months now over at Badass Digest.

They also state that Marvel already has the story for her debut film already sketched out and they’re attempting to recruit an established talent to script it. Captain Marvel scribe Kelly Sue DeConnick was apparently in the running, but there’s no word yet on what decisions Marvel has made other than Jim Starlin is apparently on board as a consultant.

END SPOILERS

– X-Files fans take heart, your favorite duo is returning to the small screen as David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson have signed on-board for a six part X-Files mini-series that will air on FOX on a not yet revealed date. Series creator Chris Carter is back on board as well, and here’s what he had to say per The Hollywood Reporter:

I think of it as a 13-year commercial break. The good news is the world has only gotten that much stranger, a perfect time to tell these six stories.

The last time The X-Files returned, I remember seeing a bunch of really disappointed theater-goers. Here’s hoping this second reunion goes off a bit better.

– AMC’s Preacher now has a Cassidy to team up with Tulip and Arseface, and it’s Misfits actor Joseph Gilgun. Here’s how Deadline colorfully describes the Irish vampire for the series:

Jesse’s sidekick Cassidy is described as the most wild-ass, bestest “bro” you’d ever want to meet. He may be 100 years dead but no one’s more boisterously alive than Proinsias Cassidy. An incorrigible mischief-maker, Cassidy’s up for anything — joyriding, bungee-jumping, bank robbing, peyote dropping. He’s also a relentless conversationalist with opinions on everything from religion to politics to pop culture to theories on why people are better able to tolerate the odor of their own flatulence.

We’re still waiting to find out who is going to play Jesse Custer, but that announcement is likely imminent.

Here’s your Friday round-up of all things Entertainment-related, have a great weekend everybody!

– Yesterday, recently announced Deadpool star Morena Baccarin tweeted out a photo while on set. The photo in question was of her chair, which lists her character name as “Vanessa”. Presumably this means the actress will be playing Vanessa Carlysle aka the mutant shape-shifter Copycat, who meets and falls in love with Deadpool before becoming a mercenary herself.

Here’s the photo in question:

Let’s do this. pic.twitter.com/pNqcCGReSz

— Morena Baccarin (@missmorenab) March 19, 2015

– After adding Ruth Negga as Tulip this week, AMC’s Preacher cast is starting to grow rapidly, as last night it was announced that young actor Ian Colleti has joined the series as “Arseface”. Deadline describes the character thusly:

Even with his horribly disfigured face and severe speech impediment, Eugene’s still the nicest kid you’ll ever meet and really looks up to Jesse. Stomach-churningly difficult to look at, Eugene’s the town’s reviled Frankenstein’s monster, but that won’t change his earnest, sweet and pure outlook on life. However, he is troubled by something terrible he’s done in the past — something he fears might have turned God himself against him.

– Surprise, surprise, another Mark Millar comic has been picked up for a movie deal. This time, it’s his brand new collaboration with Sean Murphy: Chrononauts. The series is centered around the concept of the first two scientists to travel back through time (and we’ll have a review of the first issue up shortly). Chris Morgan, who has written 5 of the Fast and Furious franchise films, will produce under his Chris Morgan Productions banner in a deal negotiated by Paradigm and the law offices of Harris M. Miller II.

Along with Superior and Starlight being in development for feature length adaptations, it looks as though Millar’s presence in multiplexes will be getting bigger than ever.

– Captain America: Civil War begins shooting in two weeks here in Atlanta, and I’ll certainly be fighting the temptation to drive down and stand outside the set every day. Word spread about the upcoming shooting via a casting notice that went out for extras in the area, which included the following synopsis:

Following the events of Age of Ultron, the collective governments of the world pass an act designed to regulate all superhuman activity. This polarizes opinion amongst the Avengers, causing two factions to side with Iron Man or Captain America, which causes an epic battle between former allies.

Sounds about right.

– Upcoming Sandman feature producer, and kinda-sorta former Robin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt has signed on to produce and star in a Fraggle Rock feature film for New Regency, though what role he’ll be playing has not been revealed. Variety got the scoop along with Levitt’s thoughts on the project:

“The first screen personas I ever loved were Henson creations, first on ‘Sesame Street,’ and then on ‘Fraggle Rock,’” Gordon-Levitt said. “Jim Henson’s characters make you laugh and sing, but they’re also layered, surprising, and wise. From Oscar the Grouch, to Yoda, to the Fraggles. I’ve never stopped loving his work, even as a young frisky man, and on into adulthood. Collaborating with Lisa Henson makes me confident we can do something that Jim would have loved. I’m grateful and excited to be working with New Regency on this project.”

We’re in the homestretch for the weekend, and after a pretty eventful day in the comics world, let’s take a look at a few headlines being discussed on the Entertainment side of things:

– AMC’s Preacher has acquired its first cast member and it is someone not wholly unfamiliar to the comic book world. Ruth Negga, who plays Raina on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., has joined the new series as Tulip. For those unfamiliar with Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon‘s much loved Vertigo series, Tulip is one of two compatriots of Jesse Custer, a man who merges with an escaped creature from heaven and goes on a quest to find God.

Here’s how Tulip is described by Deadline:

a volatile, action-packed, sexified force of nature, a capable, unrepentant criminal with a love of fashion and ability to construct helicopter-downing bazookas out of coffee cans and corn shine who’s not afraid to steal, kill or corn cob-stab her way out of a bad situation.

The pilot for Preacher is written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, and the series will be showrun by Sam Catlin (a writer for Breaking Bad). The indication with Negga’s casting means she will likely be written out of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which is a shame given she’s one of the few highlights of that series.

– Another day, another interesting Latino Review rumor; this time they report that Watchmen actor Jackie Earle Haley‘s name is being tossed around Suicide Squad for the role of The Thinker. While they say to take this one with a grain of salt, more interesting to me is the fact that The Thinker is in the film. Based on comics history, the character will likely be one of the film’s antagonists.

– Were you keeping your fingers crossed for a possible Dredd sequel? Well, you can loosen those digits up a bit, as Alex Garland, the screenwriter for Dredd, has stated that it’s pretty unlikely to happen in an interview with Collider:

GARLAND: And I also feel a sense of responsibility because I know there are these people who do this stuff like they’ve got money and they spend money on a DVD to try and up the chance of a sequel getting made. Because I don’t have an online profile or persona or anything like that I can’t speak to these people directly, but what I want to say is that’s so good of you, and thank you, but keep your money because the people who make the decisions don’t get moved by that kind of thing. They’re moved by other stuff, other equations, other algorithms…How can I say this without being soppy? It’s touching. It means something that these people support the film in that way, but the thing people want, which is a sequel, I don’t think is going to happen. I think it will happen (let me rephrase that) I don’t think it’s happening with me and the people who made the last one.

It’s worth noting that Garland’s directorial debut, Ex Machina, is getting great reviews from the UK crowd where it has been screening. Hopefully that reaction will carry over here stateside. It’s easily one of my most anticipated movies of the year.

Happiest of Fridays everyone! I just got back from a big lobbying trip in D.C. for a cause I’m pretty passionate about, so I’ve been a little off the radar this week. Let’s get back into the swing of things:

– iZombie‘s premiere is next week, and while its delays have left me feeling a little nervous about the potential end product, involving Mike Allred in any capacity is a nice way to salve that wound. He’s been tasked with designing the opening credits, and they’re lovely as anything he touches usually is:

– Latino Review is reporting that former True Blood star and one-time Flash Thompson actor Joe Manganiello is the front-runner to play Deathstroke in David Ayer‘s Suicide Squad. According to their sources, he’ll be the hired gun of the film’s primary antagonist, ONSLAUGHT. Manganiello has long been on WB’s radar, having come in second to Henry Cavill for the role of Superman.

He also kind of reminds me of Manu Bennett, who plays Deathstroke on Arrow, but maybe I need to get my eyes checked.

– Dominic Cooper, who famously plays the younger version of Howard Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, may be wading into the comic book waters again; this time he’s being considered for the role of Jesse Custer in AMC’s upcoming Preacher pilot, via a rumor published by The Tracking Board. Much to a few of my friends’ dismay, I’ve never read Preacher, so I’ll let you decide if Cooper would be a good fit or not.

– After yesterday’s Star Wars announcement, we’re already starting to see some schedule shuffling. The first of which being the already announced sequel to Fantastic Four is moving back a week. Fantastic Four 2 will now open on June 9, 2017 (from its original June 2nd, 2017 date). Whether the movie actually happens or not still depends on the success of this year’s first installment. On that note, here are some new images from Total Film (via GamesRadar) that showcase the team’s new costumes, with nary a 4 in sight.

– Lastly, per Disney-Pixar’s Twitter, Josh Cooley, the story head for the upcoming Inside Out, has been announced as the co-director for Toy Story 4. He’ll be working with John Lasseter in the role. For this one, my interest is mostly piqued by Rashida Jones co-writing the script with Will McCormack.

Once again I had the honor of being substitute preacher at Second Presbyterian Church in Oil City. While we’ve been without a pastor we elders have stepped up and taken turns at the pulpit. Our new pastor, Rev. Greg Gillispie, will take over in July.

This time around my subject was the stoning of Saint Stephen and the introduction of that one-man paramilitary wing of the Sanhedrin, Saul—found in Acts 7:55-60.

My talk centered around storytelling—particularly visual storytelling. Here you can see character designs for Stephen and Saul; an explanation of character arc used Dorothy from Wizard of Oz, Lightning McQueen from Cars, and Walter White from Breaking Bad; Saul’s Road to Damascus moment; and Saint Paul who shaped the young Christian Church through his writings.

This was some of the best fun I’ve had speaking in front of a group. I am grateful for a supportive and forgiving congregation! Best wishes & welcome to Rev. Gillispie.

Today, a word from the Reverend Josiah Crane, who has been the preacher of the Goose Creek Country Church in Portsong for as long as anyone can remember. He’s a masterful orator of the Scriptures, but could be described as somewhat distant when it comes to the shepherding side of his calling. In his own way, he cares for the souls of his flock very much.

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I see you there.

I know you are squirming in your seat and I know why. What I just said hit close to your wandering heart…that is what the bead of sweat on your forehead tells me. A more compassionate man might offer you his handkerchief to mop your brow. But I say, better a little sweat now than hellfire for eternity!

So while you think I am speaking to the back wall, know that both God and I have you in our sights. Neither of us is oblivious to what goes on in these holy pews. For example:

1.  I know the children count the number of times I hit the pulpit every week and even play a little game with it. While I don’t condone wagering, I have stacked the odds for a couple of my favorite little lambs over the years.

2.  I know precisely what time it is. If you think repeated checks to your wristwatch will give me a subtle hint, understand that it only makes me slow my pace. You’ll get to your precious lunch, even if the Lutherans beat you there.

3.  You cannot hide your dozing off – see point one, that’s why I pound the pulpit. When your head bobs up and down, I assume you are agreeing with me, which stokes the fire of my verbosity.

4.  I do not believe in alliterations or acrostics like some word game player. I’ve got the Scriptures on my side and I don’t even care for the little numbers that man added.

5.  You are absolutely correct – I do, in fact, like to hear myself speak.

6.  I will not tell you how old I am or what year I was born! Before you were, I was. No one is going to win that bet. You may as well put the proceeds into the offering basket. I am not older than dirt, but recall firsthand accounts of its creation.

So next time you think you are pulling one over on the old preacher, remember that I have been doing this a long time. Ecclesiastes chapter 1 and verse 9 tells us, “There is no new thing under the sun.” I’ve seen quite a few suns rise and fall. Further, I’ve seen all the tricks.

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I hope the old Preacher will forgive me the edits I made to his submission. He sent me 3491 words that I condensed after dozing off a few times. If you have any memories of being terrified by an old preacher, then you can identify with my friend, Virgil Creech – who is more than a little afraid of the Reverend Crane.

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Photo Credit: National Galleries of Scotland Commons from Edinburgh, Scotland, UK via Wikimedia Commons