Hollywood has shown a lot of interest in biblical/religion based movies recently, in the hope of raking in some cash from US Christians. Now it appears they’re looking at rebooting the Left Behind series, based on Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins novels, which were made into a successful (low budget) series of films in the early 2000s starring Kirk Cameron.
Now THR reports that Nicolas Cage is eyeing the lead role of Cameron ‘Buck’ Williams in a big screen do-over of the end of the world thriller. This will be the first theatrical feature from faith-oriented production company Stoney Lake Entertainment. The story follows a group of survivors who are left behind after the biblical rapture takes all the faithful to heaven, and they’re left to deal with the end of days.. The original trilogy became the highest grossing Christian-themed franchise ever produced.
Let’s hope the presence of some a-list talent will ensure this doesn’t delve too far into the Christian right’s hatred of gays (Kirk Cameron has become one of the poster boys of the anti-gay movement, and likes to paint himself as a martyr because people argue back against his patronising, odious views).
With a projected budget of $15 million, this reboot will shoot in early spring with a projected release date of Fall 2013.
Anything taken from the Bible starts off as a work of ficton and it’s as well to remember that. Religious films are nothing new and neither are pious ”actors” martyre or saint. I was draged along to watch them as a boy and they are a bore. A santimoniuous bore. I think the time has come to move forward from these fairy tale films and centre on more secular themes.