DAVID ADAMS speaks with Roma Downey, who plays Mary in the new film Son of God…
The team behind last year’s hit TV series The Bible is back – this time with Son of God, a full length feature film about the life of Jesus Christ.
Filmed at the same time as the Emmy-nominated TV series, Son of God once again stars Diogo Morgado as Jesus and Roma Downey as his mother Mary.
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THE STORY OF JESUS: Diogo Morgado returns as Jesus (top) while Roma Downey once again plays his mother Mary (bottom). |
Ms Downey, who along with husband, Survivor creator Mark Burnett, produced both the TV series and the film, told Sight that the idea for the movie came about when they were filming The Bible series in Morocco.
“As the Jesus narrative began to unfold, we knew we had something really extraordinary and we decided there and then that we would shoot additional footage always with the intention of putting it together as a film. And that’s what we did; that’s how Son of God was born.”
Ms Downey says the film format will appeal to some people who didn’t watch the TV series.
“I think that the experience of seeing it in film has been very different. Even people who saw some of the footage on television or on their computers or however people watch in their own homes – it is the biggest story, the most important chapter…and it deserves this larger-than-life presentation and I think there’s been something in seeing it play out on the big screen.
“Jesus hasn’t been on the big screen in 10 years – since The Passion of the Christ – and even then that was just three days in the life of Jesus whereas Son of God is a journey through His whole life beginning at His humble birth and the nativity and then going through the crucifixion, the resurrection and then to the ascension.”
The former Touched By An Angel star says the feedback from showings in the US has been “extraordinary”.
“The movie has been very successful and the box office has been great and we couldn’t be happier but the real success stories are the feedback coming in through the church groups, through the outreach that we are partnered with…”
This includes stories of people who have seen the film and “fallen in love with Jesus for the first time” as well as those who have had their faith reawakened. “It’s been very encouraging.”
Churches in the US have been actively reaching out to invite their communities to see the film – including through what are called ‘Popcorn Bridge” events in which churches have paid for people to have dinner and see the film.
“It’s sometimes difficult to ask somebody to go to church with you but very easy to ask somebody to go to the movies with you…” says Ms Downey.
The actor, who jokes that she and her husband are the “noisiest Christians in Hollywood”, says the whole experience has certainly deepened her own faith.
“We’ve moved through both of these large projects very prayerfully – we’ve known that it came with a huge responsibility, one that we took very seriously. We’ve worked with scholars and with experts each step of the way and we’ve worked in partnership with faith leaders to make sure that we told the story accurately…”
Having watched annual reruns of films like The Greatest Story Ever Told every Easter when growing up in Ireland, Ms Downey says they hope Son of God will similarly endure.
“That this will be a ‘go-to’ movie for people to experience Jesus…to understand Him, to feel closer to Him…” she says. “We believe that this…is just the beginning…”
She says while films like The Greatest Story Ever Told were “fantastic movies”, it was time for an updated version of the story of Jesus.
“Also, we now have available to us the latest and greatest special effects,”she says. “We didn’t have CGI back then so we’ve been able to show miracles on the screen – Jesus walking on water and feeding the 5,000 and to create the crowd(s)…and great shots of the temple.”
While Ms Downey has found the support of churches in the US “very heartening”, she says the film has also started a “bigger conversation” about faith, Jesus and God in the community more broadly. She adds that the ratings and box office receipts of the TV series and the film had attracted the attention of the industry in Hollywood. “Consequently, I think you’re going to see a lot more faith-friendly projects coming down the pipeline.”
One of which will be their own new TV series being made for NBC with an airing date in 2015. Called AD, the series will be a continuation of the Bible series and dramatisation of the Book of Acts.
“It’s dark and dangerous and those were such scary times the disciples were living in, those early days after the death of Jesus…” Ms Downey says. “It’s great stuff.”
Son of God opens in Australia on 22nd May.
~ www.sonofgodmovie.com
~ www.sonofgodresources.com
~ www.moviegroupbookings.com.au.
