First up is Noah, a big-budget project written and directed by Darren Aronofsky, the director behind The Wrestler. Featuring an all-star cast that includes Russell Crowe, Anthony Hopkins and Emma Watson, this adaptation based on the book of Genesis is set to hit cinema screens on 28th March 2014.
Producer Scott Franklin said of the project: ‘Noah is a very short section of the Bible with a lot of gaps, so we definitely had to [use] some creative expression…But I think we stayed very true to the story and didn’t really deviate from the Bible.’
Moses is also due to receive a CGI makeover, as two separate projects go head-to-head in 2015. Exodus, directed by Ridley Scott, will see Batman star Christian Bale take on the role of Moses, while Gods and Kings, previously due to be directed by Steven Spielberg before he dropped the project earlier this year, is still in development.
‘I don’t imagine either Noah or Exodus are going to be startlingly faithful to the source text,’ Empire’s editor-at-large, Nev Pierce, told Christianity. ‘Scott’s films don’t suggest he’s a man who believes in a benign creator, but we’ll see.’
This is not the first time the story of Moses has been adapted for the big screen ? the 1956 epic The Ten Commandments, starring Charlton Heston, was nominated for seven Academy Awards.
‘We’ve seen Bible epics throughout the history of Hollywood ? most recently, of course, the huge commercial success of The Passion of the Christ showed you can find a massive audience,’ said Pierce. ‘Bible stories remain fascinating and powerful for audiences because they’re true ? or, some people would argue, they point to a truth, emotionally and spiritually.’
