The Hollywood Reporter and Superhero Hype are reporting that Columbia Pictures has picked up the rights to “Preacher”, the popular 1990′s graphic novel from Vertigo by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. Neil Moritz and Origin Films, along with Kickstar Productions’ Jason Netter, are producing, and Sam Mendes is attached as the director of the film. There are, as of yet, no writers attached to a script. “Preacher” has been in consideration for adaptation for quite a long time, with a script and production start, starring James Marsden (“X-Men”, “Enchanted”) in 2002, and an hour-long HBO series in development hell since its announcement in 2006. The comic told the story of…