2013 ended with the successful TV series The Bible.
Hollywood now looks set to deliver a string of biblical epics over the next few years. Here are the films currently in development that you can expect to see appearing at a cinema near you:
Noah
Director Darren Aronofksy is known for dark, intense films like Requiem for a Dream and Black Swan. This year he will release his sixth film, Noah, starring Russell Crowe. Aronofksy claims to have been fascinated by the story of Noah for decades, describing him as ‘a dark, complicated character’. He continues: ‘I don’t think it’s a very religious story. I just think it’s a great story that’s never been on film.’ Aronofsky plans to rectify that with a large dose of artistic license and plenty of special effects. There are already some concerns that Noah will be represented as the ‘first environmentalist’.
Exodus
Christian Bale is set to star as Moses in this film about the parting of the Red Sea. Director Ridley Scott let news of the project slip in an interview with Esquire last summer. He claimed that the film would be a character study, saying: ‘What’s interesting to me about Moses isn’t the big stuff that everybody knows. It’s things like his relationship with Ramses. Some of the details of his life are extraordinary.’ Filming has now begun in southern Spain and the first photographs were recently released, showing Bale using a bow and arrow and riding a horse in front of a statue of Ramses. The film is due for release in late 2014.
Mary, Mother of Christ
Described as a prequel to Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, Mary will tell the story of her own youth as well as her struggles to care for Jesus. It reportedly aims to present love as the underpinning of faith and to show the human side of well-known biblical characters. The young Odeysa Rush stars as Mary and it is rumoured that Hugh Bonneville will appear as Satan. An official poster and website have been revealed and the film’s release is expected imminently.
The Redemption of Cain
Will Smith hopes to direct and star in a tale of sibling rivalry, tentatively entitled The Redemption of Cain. The script, written by his brother-in-law Caleeb Pinkett, is based on the biblical story of Cain and Abel but is modernised with the addition of vampires. It first came to the attention of the press in 2010 when it was called The Legend of Cain. It is currently set for release in summer 2015.
Gods and Kings
Gods and Kings first hit the headlines when it was reported that Steven Spielberg would direct a gritty Moses biopic. He has now been replaced by Ang Lee, award-winning director of Life of Pi, who will deliver a film that is being described as Braveheart meets Saving Private Ryan.
Jesus of Nazareth
Director Paul Verhoeven will develop a feature film based on his controversial book Jesus of Nazareth. Many Christians are already outraged at the prospect, given the emphasis that the book places on Jesus’s humanity by stripping him of his divine nature. Verhoeven has responded by arguing that the story is nonetheless important for modern audiences to hear: ‘I strongly feel that what I call the new ethics of Jesus – love your enemy – should be applied in our human thinking and are not very often done so’.
Pontius Pilate
Warner Bros. studio is backing the big-budget Pontius Pilate and Brad Pitt is rumoured to be taking the lead role. Based on a screenplay by Vera Blasi, it tracks Pilate as he grows up, with everything leading to the fateful moment at which he condemns Christ to be killed.
Goliath
Relativity Media will be retelling the story of David and Goliath, with Scott Derrickson in the director’s chair. Derrickson is a vocal Christian with a background in theology. His film is set to be a contemporary take on the biblical story of David and Goliath in the style of the action film 300. It is rumoured that Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson will play Goliath and Taylor Lautner (of Twilight fame) will play David.
Resurrection
Director Kevin Reynolds is attached to this story of the days following Jesus’s resurrection. A Roman centurion investigates the rumours of the missing body in a mystery thriller set in a politically fragile Jerusalem.
Some Christians will see this diverse list as a cause for celebration, others as a cause for concern. At least we can agree that, in 2014, the cinema will be an important arena for discussing with our non-believing friends the relevance of biblical stories in the 21st century.
