It really seemed like we were finally going to get Garth Ennis' Preacher this time -- the dark, funny, and controversial comic book series seemed perfect for HBO. Isn't that what they do, after all?

Apparently not. Mark Steven Johnson told Comics Continuum that they've passed on the series. "We were budgeting and everything and it was getting really close to going. But the new head of HBO felt it was just too dark and too violent and too controversial. Which, of course, is kind of the point! It was a very faithful adaptation of the first few books, nearly word for word. They offered me the chance to redevelop it but I refused. I've learned my lesson on that front and I won't do it again. So I'm afraid it's dead at HBO."

But, Johnson says that he's heard that someone is trying to obtain the rights for a big screen adaptation, and that he hopes it happens -- and that whoever nabs it can do the stories justice in a series of films. "Someone" doesn't narrow it down much, but shall we let our imaginations run wild? Frankly, in this world where the legendarily un-filmable (Lord of the Rings, Watchmen) is being made every day, I can't believe Preacher remains untouched. Isn't every studio dying for its own mature comic franchise? Isn't there a daring young filmmaker who's just dying to be boycotted, picketed, and harassed? Aren't we constantly hearing that all publicity, no matter how bad and hysterical, is desirable? Let's put it to the test. Whoever that "someone" is that's angling for the rights, may they succeed, and get Preacher on the big screen.

In a battle between East Coast gangsters and West Coast cowboys, a New York-based company has sided with the Mob. Erik has just posted about HBO's desire to make a movie based on The Sopranos, despite the reluctance of creator David Chase. However, HBO has shot down even the possibility of making any movies based on Deadwood, despite the past enthusiasm expressed by creator David Milch.

This might sound like old news. After all, Cinematical first broke the story last September that HBO had scrapped their plans to make two movies to wrap up the storylines explored in the show's three seasons. Fans -- and the actors themselves -- were not happy about the decision. HBO danced around it, with a publicist saying there were "no current plans." (Italics added.) In an effort to hammer the final nail in the coffin, Richard Pepler, co-president of HBO, now says "the likelihood of a Deadwood movie happening is slim to none," according to Zap2it. Michael Lombardo of HBO claims that talks never got past the "discussion stage." Milch, however, said in January 2007: "We have every intention of going forward."

The "slim to none" HBO statement may not be a big surprise, considering the two years that have passed since the unceremonious end of the show's third season, its setting in the Old West, and Deadwood's (relatively) low profile in modern pop culture, at least as compared to The Sopranos or Sex and the City.

Sorry we missed this earlier, but during that same press tour mentioned in the Sex and the City sequel post, Michael Lombardo (president of HBO's programming group) also said that HBO would be interested in a Sopranos film if David Chase is willing. The comments came about during an announcement that Martin Scorsese, Sopranos exec producer Terence Winter and the Entourage team of Mark Wahlberg and Stephen Levinson will get behind a new series called Boardwalk Express, about the birth of organized crime in Atlantic City during the 1920s.

It's no surprise HBO is looking to head back to the land of organized crime, and of course they'd be behind a feature film based on The Sopranos -- especially after seeing the damage done by Sex and the City at the box office. But David Chase seems to have put this show behind him, and I personally think a feature film would be too much of a stretch. As is, the show gave us one of the best endings in the history of television -- don't go futzing that up just because you all want to make some more money. Let it go. I'm sure this Boardwalk Express -- with all the talent behind it -- will quench your thirst for more mafia. But maybe I'm in the minority.

Do you really want a Sopranos movie?

David Chase, the creator of The Sopranos -- you know, the greatest television show of all time -- has signed on to write, produce, and direct his first feature film, for Paramount Pictures. Calm down, fans of Tony and the gang -- this will not be a Sopranos flick. In fact, Deadline Hollywood Daily doesn't have much about the movie at all, other than that it's "an original drama," and that Brad Grey, Chase's Sopranos producing partner and CEO of Paramount, brought him on board. Chase says of their relationship: "Brad has always been adventurous as a producer and looked for different ways of doing things. I look forward to once again working with him, and now his team. For years, Brad has been a great partner, who helped enable me to do what I need to creatively."

Returning the love, Grey says "David is one of the great storytellers of our time, and his debut as a filmmaker is both highly anticipated and long overdue." I second that! "In truth, David has been creating cinematic-quality filmed drama for more than a decade – spanning nine seasons and 86 episodes of The Sopranos. Having worked with David as a producer, I'm delighted to be with him again and to bring his unique vision to the big screen." The Sopranos indeed delivered an hour-long movie each week, and each was better than 99% of films. I simply can not wait. And with the Sex and the City movie likely to be a big hit, here's hoping Chase can be talked into dropping that Sopranos movie on us and making my life worthwhile again.

Hell ... what if this "original drama" is the Sopranos movie and they're trying to keep it secret? There have been rumors swirling lately, and I don't stop believin'.

I am in no way a history buff. I like to think I know all I needed to know when I graduated fourth grade -- names, faces, places, dates and documents. It's not that I'm not interested in history, it's just that I never found time to dive into everything. I've enjoyed reading up on New York's history (where I'm from) and I'll enjoy the occasional historical flick (until everyone trashes it for not being accurate), but apart from that ... nada. However, lately I've been pulled into the first two installments of HBO's John Adams, starring Paul Giamatti as that legendary pimp (aka the second President of the United States). Should we just give him the Emmy now?

The mini-series is a great conversation piece; my wife and I stayed up late last night watching the second part, then looking up stuff on Wikipedia and discussing the events just prior to the American Revolution. In case you haven't watched it yet, the first two parts (which premiered this past Sunday) cover everything from the Boston Massacre up to the writing of the Declaration of Independence (loved the scene where Adams, Franklin and Jefferson are reading over the Declaration, sharing notes). Additionally, the cast is pretty awesome -- you have Laura Linney (as Abigail Adams, John's wife), Tom Wilkinson (as Benjamin Franklin), Danny Huston (as Samuel Adams), David Morse (as George Washington) and Justin Theroux (as John Hancock).

The only issue I was having was that the series jumps around in years, and you need to pay close attention to dialogue in order to figure out where we are in time. But other than that, I'm absolutely addicted already. It's intense, it's extremely well-acted, it's beautifully shot and it's definitely something you should watch ... if only to learn a thing a two about how we here in the United States came to be.

How about you? Early reactions?

Variety reports that HBO Films will bring the Barry Bonds story to their network. San Francisco Giant Bonds recently broke baseball's all-time home run record, "allegedly" lied to a jury under oath concerning his use of performance-enhancing drugs, and was indicted on federal charges. Say it ain't so, Barry! HBO has purchased the rights to Game of Shadows: Barry Bonds, BALCO and the Steroids Scandal That Rocked Professional Sports, which is said to paint Bonds as "a gifted player who made a Faustian bargain to increase his power." Ron Shelton will adapt the book with John Norville (co-writer of Shelton's Tin Cup) after the WGA Strike. Shelton is also set to direct.

Ron Shelton is a terrific writer/director of sports movies when he's on, but he doesn't have the greatest batting average. Bull Durham, White Men Can't Jump, and Tin Cup are classics of baseball, basketball, and golf film, respectively. But Cobb? Play it to the Bone? The dreadful Hollywood Homicide (not a sports film I realize, but so bad I had to mention it)? Hopefully the Bonds film will be one of his "hits." I always find it interesting when movies are made about figures who are not only still alive, but still going strong. It just seems like it'd be...awkward for all involved. Who do you think should play Barry Bonds? Shelton regular Kevin Costner? I kid, I kid. Do you think they should get a newcomer or go for a star? And which star?

I can't wait to check out American Gangster this weekend, and apparently Universal and Imagine are pretty high on it as well. They're already working on another true crime drama about men on opposing sides of the law. They have bought the rights to make "The Knife," an investigative article by Guy Lawson, into a feature film. The intriguingly-haired Brian Grazer will produce. "The Knife" will be published in the January issue of GQ. Lawson is quite the hot writer right now, HBO is making his book The Brotherhoods: The True Story of Two Cops Who Murdered for the Mafia into a mini-series produced by Dick Wolf.

According to Variety, the title of "The Knife" refers to "the code name given to a Crips member in South Central who became an informant and collaborated for a decade with FBI agent Tim Flaherty to crack murder, drug and arms-deal cases." Sweeeeet. I love crime movies. The gang member's identity is still being kept secret, apparently he's living a Henry Hill-style life. Who do you see in these roles? Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe are two of the best actors in the game, but they're somewhat safe choices for their roles in American Gangster. Let's say you're a casting director -- who would you cast as the gang member and Flaherty? I'd like to see a fresh pairing, maybe...Chris Tucker and Paul Giamatti? Check out James' American Gangster review here and Ryan's junket report on the film here.

Chicago Tribune television critic Maureen Ryan has done a follow-up piece on Cinematical's story about the decision of HBO to scrap the series-ending Deadwood movies it promised fans after the show's abrupt termination. Ryan, crediting Cinematical as a source in her article, contacted representatives at the network about the move and got a long-winded response. Here's the relevant portion: "There are no current plans to make the movies," the HBO publicist admits, before adding a never-say-never caveat. "The dismantling of the 1878 set is irrelevant because Milch has indicated that the story for a Deadwood movie would resume after the Deadwood floods and fires, which changed the face of the first settlement." As Hugo Jarry would say, the statement continues ... "HBO has renewed its deal with David Milch, who is currently developing another series for the network. It's a drama set in the New York police department during the 1970s, when the Knapp Commission was formed to ferret out corruption in the force."

In other words, 'please stop thinking about Deadwood and start thinking about Milch's new show'. And if you're holding on to that sliver of hope they tossed out, I've got a bridge to sell you. I would consider it unlikely in the extreme that, having dismantled the old show sets, HBO would shell out for new ones for any reason, although that's just a layman's speculation. In conclusion, I'll repeat what I said earlier: at this point, it's a Deadwood theatrical film or bust. If Sex and the City can get a theatrical film, why in the world wouldn't a show that's actually good get one?

While everyone was busy fighting over the rights to Conan the Barbarian, another Robert E. Howard property has been quietly chugging along toward production. Variety reports that James Purefoy (Rome) has signed to star in the adaptation of Solomon Kane. The story focuses on a 16th century swordsman who has been cursed because of his bloody past. Kane vows to never fight again, until he is forced out of retirement to battle evil just one more time -- so I guess, in this cast, he really would be "too old for this s**t". The film underwent a personnel change last year when Michael J Basset (Wilderness) was hired to write and direct with no mention of the film's previous producers, Don Murphy and Gregg Hoffman. Kane will now be a joint production between Wandering Star and Davis Films (Brotherhood of The Wolf) and according to Variety, the producers are planning on a trilogy.

When Purefoy's casting was announced, Basset told ComingSoon.net, "Purefoy's ability to embody Kane's complex heroism, struggles and failings as he wages a mortal battle, made him the perfect modern hero in this epic fantasy". Like so many other English actors, Purefoy started his career with The Royal Shakespeare Company, so the man knows his way around a period piece. His face might ring a bell as 'The Black Prince' in 2001's A Knight's Tale with Heath Ledger. Purefoy was most recently on HBO's Rome as the famous Marc Anthony, but this summer HBO announced that the show was on its final season. Once Purefoy finishes his commitments for two upcoming TV projects, he will have plenty of time to start work on Kane.

It was only a few months ago that speculation arose about whether When the Levees Broke would ever get a DVD release. Spike Lee's four-hour made-for-HBO documentary about the New Orleans-area floods resulting from Hurricane Katrina and a faulty levee system premiered a year after New Orleans flooded. Speculation arose that rights issues, either for the footage or the score, might prevent HBO Home Video from releasing the movie on DVD. I was worried it might end up like the civil-rights documentary Eyes on the Prize, which was not available for public viewing for years, although in the past couple of years, an unscrupulous person might be able to find and watch an illegal copy through the internet.

Thankfully, I found out that When the Levees Broke has been given a DVD release: in fact, it went on sale yesterday. I haven't seen much news about the release -- it was under the radar enough that Scott missed it in this week's new DVD roundup, and I can't find many reviews of the DVD. A review at DVD Talk informs us that the three-disc set includes a full-length commentary track by Spike Lee as well as a 90-minute "epilogue" with updated footage about New Orleans. Honestly, Lee could go back every six months for the next five years and probably find 90 more minutes to tack on ... the difficulties there are far from over. DVD Talk also mentions the excerpts from Inside Man's soundtrack remaining on the DVD, so that must not have been an unavoidable rights-issues problem. I'd love to find out whether the documentary had to be edited in any way to avoid rights issues for the DVD. But that's just me being curious, because I don't mind a few minor edits or music changes if it means I can see the movie again. (As long as they keep "St. James Infirmary" on the soundtrack, even though it does make me cry.)

[Special thanks to John DeFore of Hollywood Reporter and the Austin American-Statesman for the tip, otherwise I would never have known about the DVD release.]

Poor Garth Ennis has been teased, courted and kicked to the curb for years as various directors, actors and studios have expressed interest in his Preacher comic book line from the mid-late nineties, only to ultimately decide they don't actually want it. I've only been writing for Cinematical for a year now and I've already seen it come up at least twice in my tenure alone. For awhile there it looked like a film may have actually been on track (with View Askew set to produce it at one point or another), but back in May a crazy rumor popped up suggesting the project was again dead in the water, and since then we've heard very little from the Preacher camp.

The rumor suggested that while cinema had defeated Garth Ennis yet again, the man was not yet done fighting. Someone at HBO had expressed interest in the project -- but so many people have "expressed interest" in Preacher it hardly seems worth noting anymore. Well today, official news is out, and HBO does want the project. They're putting together a one hour series based on the comics with (*chuckle*) Mark Steven Johnson of Ghost Rider and Daredevil attached to write at least the pilot. So fans, you got denied a movie yet again, but you're staring down the possibility of many, many hours of Preacher in a format which would seem to be a very good fit.

Yeah, I know. We'll believe it when we see it.

Being associated with Oscar is a very good thing indeed. Films that win an Academy Award (or many) will typically see a boost in ticket sales. Before that, the nomination alone benefits their box office performance. Now it appears that simply being shortlisted has its advantages, too. One day after the Academy released its narrowed-down list of feature documentary contenders, ThinkFilm announced they've picked up the rights to one of the films on that list. The company will distribute The Trials of Darryl Hunt, which was produced by HBO Films and directed by Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg. The doc premiered last January at Sundance and in April it won the audience award at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival.

It tells the story of Darryl Hunt, a black man who was tried and convicted for the rape and murder of white newspaper reporter Deborah Sykes in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in 1984. Hunt was sentenced despite there being no physical evidence, simply off a testimonial given by a former Ku Klux Klan member. After ten years, in 1994, a DNA test cleared Hunt of the charges, yet he wasn't released from prison for another eight years.

The film would probably make for a good, though upsetting, double-header with the 2005 Sundance Special Jury Prize winner After Innocence, which examines the difficult process of re-entering society following, and despite, being exonerated. Unfortunately, such a double-header will likely never happen on television, since After Innocence was produced by HBO competitor Showtime. After Innocence was also shortlisted for the doc feature Oscar last fall, but didn't garner a nomination. Still, it did okay in limited release and gets occasional play on Showtime (including this Thursday morning). The Trials of Darryl Hunt, which was set to premiere on HBO sometime in 2007, will now get a theatrical and DVD release courtesy of ThinkFilm.

I don't have HBO -- I've got just enough cable to get decent network reception and to enjoy local cable access shows. And yet, having grown up in the New Orleans area, I was dying to see Spike Lee's documentary about post-Katrina New Orleans, When the Levees Broke, which aired on HBO late last month. I've been checking the HBO, Amazon, and Netflix websites to determine when a DVD might be released -- it seemed to me that if ever a day-and-date release was warranted, this would be it.

Last week, BoingBoing reported that someone had posted the documentary to YouTube in 26 parts. (The footage has since been removed.) Hollywood Reporter's Risky Biz Blog picked up the story and contacted HBO to find out when the four-hour documentary might be released on DVD. HBO couldn't provide a date because "there are lots of tricky rights and clearance issues with the movie." I don't understand this at all -- When the Levees Broke was shot within the past year, and surely any permissions would have been for DVD as well as for broadcast? Would HBO be short-sighted enough not to see the potential for DVD? I'm not paying for full cable and HBO just to watch a single movie, but I would buy this DVD in a heartbeat if it were available right now.

Risky Biz compares the problem (and the subsequent illegal downloads available on the Web) to the situation with the 1987 civil-rights documentary Eyes on the Prize, which isn't available on DVD because the rights expired and were too expensive to renew. Isn't it time to re-examine the fine points of copyright law and the way documentaries are affected? In the meantime, I suspect that many people will resort to finding internet downloads to watch otherwise-unavailable films like When the Levees Broke.

One of the greatest comedic shows to ever hit HBO might be heading for the big screen. Hell yes, I'm talking a Mr. Show movie! I'm not sure there are words to describe how incredibly awesome Mr. Show is and was, but if you, like me, were a big fan, then you know exactly what I'm talking about.

For those that have never experienced Mr. Show, picture Saturday Night Live on crack ... and with only two main stars. Created by David Cross and Bob Odenkirk, essentially, Mr. Show consists of a series of skits which all sort of transition into one another through a common thread. Back in 2003, a Mr. Show spin-off movie called Run Ronnie Run went straight to DVD. Based off one of Cross' characters from the show, the film received mixed reviews, though was later disowned by Cross and Odenkirk.

As far as a new movie goes, Odenkirk recently told Premiere magazine he's down for another go-round, noting a Mr. Show movie has been written by both him and Cross. He says, "That's really my kind of humour, and David and I are good friends and want to work together again. Hopefully, we'll get to make the movie in the fall". Will it be another spin-off? Will it be an hour and a half of sketch comedy? Either way, I'm so down.

So what exactly does Spike Lee want to tell us about Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath? Whatever it is, he wants New Orleans-area residents to hear it first. Lee will screen the first half of his four-hour documentary When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts at the New Orleans Arena on August 16. Lee is expected to attend the premiere. The arena is adjacent to the Superdome, where crowds of survivors took refuge under horrible circumstances after last year's hurricane and subsequent flooding devastated the New Orleans area.

Lee was under fire earlier this year for refusing to discredit the theory that the levees had been intentionally bombed in order to flood poor neighborhoods. However, he now claims that the documentary will cite the Army Corps of Engineers' poor construction of the levees as the cause of the flooding. HBO will air When the Levees Broke in two parts on August 21 and 22, and then replay the entire film on August 29, the anniversary of the hurricane's landfall. Tickets for the New Orleans event are free through the Arena box office.