Variety reports that Mendes, who won his Oscar for "American Beauty," will direct a film adaptation of "Preacher," a supernatural graphic novel," for Columbia Pictures.

The novel, which was penned by writer Garth Ennis and artist Steve Dillon, focuses on "the preacher of a Texas town, who is struggling to get by and is driven only by his strong moral sense. When the city is decimated by an otherworldly force, he embarks on a journey across the country to take on the evil," according to the industry paper.

Producers include Original Film's Neal Moritz and Kickstart Productions' Jason Netter. Executive producers are Ken Levin and Ori Marmur.

The "Preacher" series, which comprises 75 issues, ran from 1995-2000. The novel series won four Eisner Awards.

Sam Mendes founded London's intimate theatre space, the Donmar Warehouse. During his decade at the Donmar, the theatre presented productions of Cabaret, Into the Woods, Orpheus Descending, The Real Thing, Proof, Company and The Blue Room. Several of those productions found their way to Broadway, including the Tony-winning revival of Cabaret. He also directed the previous revival of Gypsy, starring Bernadette Peters. Mendes has also achieved success on screen, including an Academy Award for "American Beauty."