The long-awaited adaptation of the acclaimed Preacher comic book series appears to finally be moving forward — and with quite a bit of momentum, thanks to a recent pilot order for the series from AMC. Now the first piece of casting has been announced for the project.
Deadline reports that Agents of SHIELD actress Ruth Negga will play Tulip, the female lead, in the upcoming television series.
Originally published in the late ’90s by DC Comics’ Vertigo imprint, Preacher followed a disillusioned Texas preacher named Jesse Custer who is accidentally gifted with “The Word of God” — the power to make people obey his spoken commands — and subsequently embarks on a journey to track down God himself and make him answer for his failings. Jesse is joined on his quest by his ex-girlfriend Tulip and an alcoholic, drug-abusing Irish vampire, Cassidy.
The Preacher series is being produced and developed by Seth Rogen and his frequent collaborator Evan Goldberg, along with Breaking Bad‘s Sam Catlin. The pilot was written by Catlin, and Rogen and Goldberg are expected to direct it.
A recurring cast member in Agents of SHIELD throughout its first two seasons, Negga also played a featured role in the award-winning British sci-fi series Misfits, about a group of teenagers who inherit superhuman abilities.
Preacher is expected to begin filming this year, with a premiere in 2016.
