Columbia Pictures has attached Sam Mendes to direct a feature adaptation of the graphic novel Preacher that Neal Moritz will produce through Original Films banner alongside Kickstart Productions' Jason Netter.

This will be Mendes' second graphic novel project after Road To Perdition, although the property's supernatural tone marks a dramatic direction shift for the film-maker.

Writer Garth Ennis and artist Steve Dillon's Preacher series ran from 1995 to 2000 and is one of most acclaimed comic books in recent years. The story focuses on a preacher who battles the supernatural force that destroyed his town.

Ken Levin and Original Films' Ori Marmur will serve as executive producers. Netter will oversee the title for Kickstart Productions and Andrea Giannetti will oversee for Columbia.

The studio previously announced that Moritz and Netter would be producing The Boys, based on another Ennis comic book.

'Preacher is a groundbreaking graphic novel, one that redefined the medium in many ways, and Sam Mendes is the ideal choice to bring it to the screen,' Moritz said.

'Not only is Sam one of our greatest directors, but he saw the way for Road To Perdition to make the transition from graphic novel to compelling drama and we're confident that he will bring the same touch to Preacher. I am also pleased to be working with Garth Ennis once again.'

'This is a very cinematic graphic novel with amazing characters and a fantastic story and we look forward to bringing it to the screen with Sam Mendes, Neal Moritz and Jason Netter,' Matt Tolmach, who is president of Columbia along with Doug Belgrad, said,

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