A look at Hollywood lineup of coming
movies with biblical, faith themes
By Kurt Jensen
Catholic News Service
NEWYORK (CNS) -- The long-standing charge against Hollywood by people of
faith is that Tinseltown doesn’t take believers seriously when it comes to film fare.
But with a fistful of biblical epics ready to roll out nationwide in 2014 and even
beyond, there will be plenty of evidence to test that assumption.
First up on the big screen next year is
“Son of God”
(Fox, Feb. 28) based on
“The
Bible,”
last year’s TV ratings hit for the History cable channel. Directed by Christo-
pher Spencer and using additional footage from the 10-part miniseries, it’s a life of
Christ with Diogo Morgado as Jesus and Roma Downey as his mother, Mary.
Moses will certainly get his due in 2014. Just one such treatment is
“Exodus”
(Fox), already with a Dec. 12 premiere date penciled in. It’s director Ridley Scott’s
big-budget retelling of the saga of the Hebrew slaves in Egypt and Moses’ role in
leading them to the Promised Land.
The movie stars Christian Bale as Moses, Aaron Paul as Joshua, Joel Edgerton as
Ramses, Sigourney Weaver as Tuya (Ramses’ mother) and Indira Varma as Miriam.
Scott is using locations in Spain to fill in for ancient Egypt.
In the development pipeline at Warner Bros. is
“Gods and Kings,”
a still-vague
project that has only received recent attention because Steven Spielberg dropped out
as director, and was replaced by Ang Lee.
In this one, Moses may or may not be portrayed as some sort of action hero, de-
pending on which unreliable website one chooses to visit. Wouldn’t delivering the
Ten Commandments and parting the Red Sea more or less qualify him for that title,
anyway?
The stone tablets are coming to TV as well. Producer Harvey Weinstein, a co-
founder of Miramax Films, just announced plans for a 10-part
“Ten Commandments”
-- one episode per commandment -- using big-name directors such as Wes Craven
and Lee Daniels. Weinstein or one of his associates let it slip that he’s also consider-
ing Madonna to direct an episode.
There’s no indication yet whether
“Exodus”
or the other adaptations will include
Dathan, the skeptical character mentioned in the Book of Numbers and memorably
portrayed by Edward G. Robinson in 1956’s
“The Ten Commandments”
directed by
Cecil B. DeMille.
Robinson never actually delivered the sneering line “Where’s your messiah now?”
That originated in a stand-up routine by Billy Crystal, but has become so culturally
embedded, it’s been quoted by Chief Wiggum twice on
“The Simpsons.”
Other films, with their announced release dates:
“Noah”
(Paramount, March 28). Russell Crowe as the builder of the ark, An-
thony Hopkins as Methuselah, and a big floating zoo of computer-generated animals,
presumably boarding two by two. Directed by Darren Aronofsky with Emma Watson
as Ila, Noah’s adopted daughter, and Jennifer Connelly as Naameh, Noah’s wife.
The $125 million film comes with pre-manufactured outrage -- “buzz,” if you pre-
fer -- because of its angels. Turn, if you will, to the Book of Enoch, Chapter 9, which
mentions the archangels Michael, Raphael, Gabriel and Uriel, the last of whom, ac-
cording to the following chapter, is sent to warn Noah of the coming destruction of
the earth.
The Book of Enoch -- which is only accepted as canonical by the Ethiopian and
Eritrean Orthodox Churches -- doesn’t describe the archangels in detail. Aronofsky,
who co-scripted with Ari Handel, decided it would be really spectacular if they were
Diego Morgado stars in a scene from the movie “Son of God.” The film is one
of several biblical epics Hollywood is expected to release in coming weeks.
(CNS
photo/Fox
18 feet tall and had six arms.
That makes them a mite spooky, but they’re supposed to get Noah’s attention, and
that would certainly do it. There’s been no advance word on how many rainbows will
be seen from atop Mount Ararat.
“Heaven Is for Real”
(TriStar, April 16). Greg Kinnear and Kelly Reilly, directed
by Randall Wallace, star as Todd and Sonja Burpo, based on Todd’s best-selling book
about his son Colton’s glimpse of heaven as the result of a near-death experience dur-
ing surgery. Connor Corum plays the revivified lad.
“Mary”
(Lionsgate, next December). Odeya Rush takes on the role of Mary
escaping from King Herod along with husband Joseph. Ben Kingsley plays Herod.
It’s directed by Alister Grierson.
“Pontius Pilate”
(Warner Bros., 2015). Brad Pitt as Christ’s Roman judge. Pilate
has received his own story a few times, but typically, as in the Gospels, he’s a sup-
porting character.
He’s previously been portrayed by Telly Savalas, Richard Boone, David Bowie
and -- memorably -- by Australian actor Frank Thring in 1959’s
“Ben-Hur.”
Thring
played the governor of Judea as a sniveling, world-weary oaf. Pitt’s last costume epic
was “Troy” in 2004.
“The Redemption of Cain”
(Sony, 2015). Listed here because the film, directed
by Will Smith, is supposed to be loosely based on the story of Cain and Abel. It also
involves vampires, but that, of course, you won’t find in the Book of Genesis. Hence,
“loosely.”
“Resurrection”
(LD Entertainment, 2015 or later). Kevin Reynolds (“Robin
Hood: Prince of Thieves”) is currently “attached,” the trade papers report, to direct
the story of the first 40 days following the resurrection of Jesus.
“Ben-Hur”
(MGM, 2015 or later). The third big-screen version, following the
1925 and 1959 films. Because, after all, who doesn’t like a good chariot race?
Jensen is a guest reviewer for Catholic News Service.
For more movie, DVD and Blu-ray reviews,
see
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From page 14
The archbishop said the door would offer not only
opportunities for devout Catholics to deepen their faith,
but also a means of reinviting those who may have fall-
en away from the faith over the years.
It is estimated that 18 million North Americans can
trace the baptism or marriage of their ancestors back to
the basilica.
A video on this can be found at
S39xnPmY.
The Staff of the Gulf Pine
Catholic wishes you and yours
a very Blessed New Year.
Gulf Pine Catholic
•
January 3, 2014
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