Mark Burnett: ‘Son of God’ Film Aims to ‘Funnel People Into Churches’
Major motion picture Son of God will release in theaters nationwide Feb. 28.
Producer and actress Roma Downey (Touched by an Angel, The Bible) and producer Mark Burnett (The Voice, Survivor, Shark Tank, The Bible) brought The Bible miniseries to television with their company LightWorkers Media. The series became the No. 1 cable entertainment telecast of the year and one of the fastest-selling TV-to-disc titles ever and received three Emmy Award nominations.
Now, in the stand-alone feature Son of God, Portuguese actor Diogo Morgado portrays Jesus as the film spans from His birth through His teachings, crucifixion and resurrection. The film also includes an orchestral score from Oscar winner Hans Zimmer.
“We responded to an overwhelming demand for the greatest story ever told to be seen as a shared experience on the big screen,” say Downey and Burnett. “The result is a beautiful stand-alone movie. It’s the story of Jesus for a whole new generation.”
Burnett told an audience attending a screening in metro Orlando, Fla., that the film was “made with love” and that it shares “unequivocally who He [Jesus] is.”
Burnett says he sees the film as a “way to start conversations” about Jesus and as a means to “funnel people into churches.”
With a nod to the importance of the Spanish-language market, Burnett says the movie will release in Spanish the same day the English-language film is released.
Inspired by the success of The Bible series, Son of God features never-before-seen footage, a theatrical edit and a 5.1-surround-sound mix that adds to the immediacy of the experience. Click here to watch the trailer.
