DAILY DOSE OF HOPE – BLOG – NAIMA LETT
Hollywood’s Flood of Bible Films
© NaimaLett.com/blog
© Russel Crowe, Will Smith & Brad Pitt
History Channel’s “The Bible” series (yesterday’s blog) is just the beginning.
Hollywood’s floodgates are bursting open with a plethora of films (based loosely on the Bible) sailing full speed ahead. The first one, due in theaters in 2014, is Paramount’s Noah starring Academy Award® winner Russell Crowe.
Here We Go!
The Hollywood Reporter asked as early as October 2011if “Moses, Noah and Judah Maccabee are the next Bella, Batman and Harry Potter?”
Citing the success of blockbusters like Mel Gibson’s 2004 The Passion of the Christ, which was made for $30 million and grossed over $611 million worldwide, it sounds like Hollywood has sought ways to get in on the money-making action. And in the last 10 years, independent filmmakers like Tyler Perry and the Kendricks Brothers (Fireproof, Courageous) have proven that there is a faithful Christian market who is hungry for faith-based films and will fill movie theaters in support of said films.
What Happens When?
But what happens when that faithful, faith-based audience shows up for your big budget, biblical film and it’s biblical accuracy is questionable?
That’s what just happened with the History Channel’s “The Bible” series. The Times reports that the History Channel scored the “highest-rated scripted drama on cable for the year” spot so far with 13.1 million viewers, and the History Channel celebrated trending at #1 on Twitter. That’s definitely a WIN for faith-based films because that many viewers ensures other networks will want to produce similar material to pull that kind of audience (which equals ad revenue and more money).
The problem is that I haven’t spoken with a Christian yet who wasn’t disappointed (slightly to outright) in how the series changed the biblical text. Lots of creative license was taken by the producers of the show. How many of those 13.1 million viewers do you think will actually come back after being so let down? I’m encouraging folks to keep watching so that we can be a part of the conversation that takes place within our culture, BUT, as a lifelong Bible student whose been through 2 seminaries, I sure do see why folks are upset.
What’s Coming?
First glance looks like we may get more of the same “creative license” in the upcoming films.
NOAH
After reading an undated script of Noah, industry insider Brian Godawa, told the Christian Post, “If you were expecting a Biblically faithful retelling of the story of the greatest mariner in history and a tale of redemption and obedience to God you’ll be sorely disappointed.”
REDEMPTION OF CAIN
Will Smith is reportedly producing and possibly directing the Redemption of Cain, a film penned by his wife’s Jada’s brother Caleeb Pinkett. It’s said that “the film tells the story of Cain and Abel with a vampiric twist” and is scheduled to start shooting in July in London, Jordan and Morocco. You read that correctly: Vampire Twist. Yes.
PONTIUS PILATE
Brad Pitt is rumored to be attached to play Pontius Pilate for Paramount’s film. Deadline reports, “Rather than a straight-ahead biblical film, Blasi’s script reads almost like a biblical-era Twilight Zone episode in which a proud, capable Roman soldier gets in way over his head. [Pilate’s] arrogance and inability to grasp the devoutness of the citizenry and its hatred for the Roman occupiers and their pagan gods leads him to make catastrophic decisions.”
MOSES
There are 2 Moses films. Academy Award® winner Steven Spielberg (Prince of Egypt, Lincoln) is attached to direct Gods and Kings for Warner Brothers and Academy Award® nominee Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven) is rumored to direct Exodus for Fox. Not a lot has been written, as the two studios race towards production. So we will likely learn more as we know which film will actually get made.
GOLIATH
Finally, I have a little hope for this one. Relativity’s Goliath is being directed by Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose, The Day the Earth Stood Still). I actually met Scott, who received his undergrad degree from BIOLA (my D.MIN work is at BIOLA’s Talbot School of Theology), and I’m hoping he’s able to stay close to the biblical text. We’ll see.
HOLD ON!
Hold on to your horses or carriages or arcs or whatever, Fam! The flood’s a’coming!
I’m glad that there will be more biblical stories on the big screen; but we must set our expectations, Fam. We can’t expect them to be altogether biblical. We can, however, pray that they will at least produce dialogue. That’s looking at the upside of things. :=)
Let’s know God’s word and be ready in season and out of season to share the truth. Paul charged Timothy in 2 Tim 4:1-5, “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”
Sounds good to me. Let’s preach the word, be ready, keep our head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist and fulfill our ministries.
Onward & upward,
Naima
What do you think?
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© 2013 Naima Lett. All Rights Reserved
Great blog Naima!! This is insightful and informative. I agree, look on the upside, it will send people to seek the truth for themselves!! Keep up the good work!!
Thanks so much, Jamie.
Appreciate it, Lady.
Yes, you’re on it. Hopefully, folks will want to seek the truth and break open the Word and see what it says.
Here’s to hoping! :=)
Have a good one!
Great post! It is very informative. It kind of discourages me as a Bible believing film student. I’m in my undergrad with hopes to do film one day. Doing productions based in the Word seems almost impossible because you’ll always have someone saying, “That ain’t right.” Lol Almost makes me want to stay in the secular realm in regards to productions. I don’t want to do anything that would offend God. Truthful, I don’t even want to bare that embarrassment. Any encouragement, Fam? lolHow do you stay grounded!?
D. Jones
Hi Darren,
Thanks so much for your comments.
First of all, congratulations on your undergraduate studies. We love meeting film students. Matriculating through college can be the most challenging and rewarding experience all wrapped into one. So, KUDOS to you for moving forward.
Second, please be encouraged! Doing productions based in the Word is not impossible. Nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37).
The Bible is the most widely-read, biggest-selling book in all of history. It has a proven track record and built-in audience. Creating films based on its stories is genius (not to mention it’s God’s Word and has the power to transform our lives). Approaching the Word with the humility that you have in not wanting to offend God is the best way to create works that are not offensive to God, mainly because we’re inviting Him into the process. That’s how we stay grounded.
God is the great Creator and He gave each one of us creativity. It’s exhilarating to artistically create works, right?! I believe God wants each one of us to use our creativity, without fear or embarrassment. The creative process (including filmmaking) is beautiful and tough and everything in between. But it’s worth it! So charge ahead, my friend.
That being said, if we advertise our film as “true to the Bible”, and we make sweeping and unexplainable, blatant changes to written text that is actually in the Bible, people might rise up and say, “That ain’t right”. LOL! Mainly because they can flip open the book, read the stories and show us the dialogue we changed, added and omitted.
I think the best thing we can do, especially as people of faith, is to be honest with people. This helps to set expectations. If we create a film that re-images the Bible stories, we should advertise it as such i.e. “The Bible – Re-Imaged!”, etc. Whenever we see the words, “Based on a true story” (i.e. ARGO or Zero Dark Thirty), we know elements have been changed. If we flip the script and use the Bible as a jump off-point, not a re-telling of biblical stories, then we should just be upfront with that information.
The backlash over the recent Bible series came from viewers who were sold the concept that it was “true to the Bible”. If the creators had simply advertised it as “Based on” and not “True to”, people would not have been as disappointed. Disappointment occurs when our expectations are not met. There was a switch-a-roo. Folks felt duped. So, my advice, to all of us is to be upfront and honest in what we’re doing. We can be creative and veer off the beaten path, but we sure better tell somebody that’s what we’re doing BEFORE they sit down to consume our work. Does that make sense?
Yes, lots of encouragement your way. Thanks for reaching out. Great questions!
I pray for our heavenly Father to bless you with supernatural creativity, courage and relentlessness mixed with genuine love and respect for people so that you can be the awesome filmmaker and leader you’re purposed to be.
Go forth,
Naima
Naima,
This is very encouraging! I’m ecstatic! Thank you. Yes, it is exhilarating to create. Nothing makes me feel so connected to The Lord. I believe He created us to create.
I have one more year left in undergrad. Would you recommend going to grad school for productions? If so, what are some good recommendations? I’d like to be at a Bible-based institute.
Blessings,
Darren
Naima,
I praise the Lord for the increased volume of film with biblical themes and characters. There was a time when major studios produced biblically based films. But, as one whose ministry is about ethnic diversity in Christ, I’m a bit frustrated with the lack of diversity in the films about characters who lived in an area that’s between Africa and Asia. I mean did Jesus really have a British accent? I’m just saying.
Blessings to you and your ministry.
Thanks KB.
Great point.
There has been much controversy over the way in which many Bible-based films have been cast. I think the filmmakers are casting according to preference, not according to history. We run into this scenario a LOT.
I keep saying that diversity starts in the writing room and executive offices. We need more diverse voices at the table when the decision are being made, long before casting takes place. You know?
Agreed! I’m a writer/producer/director and my prayer is that more quality independent films with Christian perspectives, featuring diverse casts will be funded, marketed and distributed to the masses of viewers who I believe will be more than receptive. The audience is there and waiting for product to satisfy their desire for positive, family-oriented films that are biblically sound and have characters that are representative of history and the ethnic composition of the world in the small global village we inhabit.
Awesome blog! Keep up the great work! Join me in praying this gives Christians another tool to interact with their friends and culture.
All this best!
Jeff
http://www.amazon.com/As-Was-Days-Noah-Warnings/dp/0736961380/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389717695&sr=1-1&keywords=noah+jeff+kinley
Thanks Jeff!
And yes, we are definitely praying this gives us more opportunities to dialogue!
Thanks so much for sharing your book as well, As It Was in the Days of Noah.
Go forth!