It’s been a few months since we last checked in on AMC’s adaptation of Garth Ennis’ Preacher books…
The series premiere was screened last Monday at SXSW and was met with positive reactions from the crowd. Many are drawing parallels to last month’s mega hit Deadpool, due mostly to the violent nature of the storytelling, combined with strong comedic writing. In this case, those writers (and producers) are Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. The duo, responsible for getting this project off the ground, have collaborated previously on several projects, including Superbad, Knocked Up, and the funniest movie of 2013 – This is the End.
The development of Garth Ennis’s Preacher into film has long seemed like a pipe dream for comic fans. Even after Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg announced their plans to create the series with the help of AMC, many remained skeptical, citing concerns over the series’ intensely graphic content and outlandish plot devices. But there’s no room left for doubt now; AMC released the first full trailer for Preacher during The Walking Dead, and it’s definitely worth watching.
We have been waiting to discuss Preacher for a while now. Not a while as in the last few weeks or last few months. No, we have been waiting to talk about a live action adaptation of Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon’s Preacher for years. It was first being shopped around as a big-screen adaptation, which then escalated into a series of films.
As we have previously reported, and despite outside reports to the contrary, Peggy Carter will be following in a Marvel tradition nearly as well established as their end credit scenes. She is getting her own Marvel One-Shot, Agent Carter, to be included on the Iron Man 3 Blu-ray and DVD.
Dead Man Down is a crime thriller starring Colin Farrell, Noomi Rapace, Dominic Cooper and Terrence Howard. The film marks the English-language debut of Danish filmmaker Niels Arden Oplev, who previously directed Rapace in the Swedish version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It’s due to be released on the 8th of March. And we have the trailer…
The plot is as follows: Victor (Colin Farrell) is an enforcer to a New York City boss, Alphonse Hoyt (Terrence Howard), who was responsible for the deaths of his wife and daughter, an act that Victor seeks revenge for. Victor turns detective when his boss is
under threat from an unknown killer. During this he is seduced by Beatrice (Noomi Rapace), a woman from across the street who saw Victor murder someone, who blackmails him into helping her with her own search for vengeance. I’m telling you this as the trailer doesn’t make it all that clear.
Noomi Rapace [via Rope of Silicon]I don’t know what to make of this trailer. Sure, it’s got two good-looking actors as the leads (and they’re reasonably good at acting, which is always a plus) as well as action and romance, and it may turn out that the actual film is quite thrilling, but it looks so, well, drab. I think it’s aiming for arty. It just doesn’t quite hit it. It’s got something missing.
The most interesting thing about this trailer is that it features a cover of Shine On You Crazy Diamond by Kendra Morris. I’m not one hundred per cent sure who she is but she’s done a fantastic version of the classic Pink Floyd track. Even so it still seems at odds with the trailer. I’m guessing it was to go with the arty vibe.
What did surprise me though was to find out that it was produced by WWE studios. I didn’t even know they had a film production company! They seem to make mostly wrestling videos and films with wrestlers in acting roles. In Dead Man Down the wrestler in question is Wade Barrett, who has a bit part as Kilroy. He’s also from Preston in Lancashire.
Wade Barrett & Terrence Howard [via Contactmusic]So that’s Dead Man Down. A film I might see if it gets good reviews,but not solely on the strengths of this trailer.
Grizzly Bomb 