Displaying items by tag: Hollywood

The Animated Story of Jesus, set for a December 2025 release, is an innovative animated version of the celebrated Jesus Film. This project, spearheaded by Florida-based director Dominic Carola, is not a remake but a new visual interpretation of the world’s most-translated film. The vision for this film, unveiled in Seoul, Washington DC, and Kampala, has attracted talent from major studios like Pixar and Disney. Carola, with experience on Disney films like Mulan and The Lion King, leads a team of top artists using advanced technology like the Unreal Engine to bring the story to life. This technology will enable the depiction of historical sites like the Temple and Robinson’s Arch in virtual reality, augmented reality, and the Metaverse. Carola views animation as a universal language that transcends cultural barriers, making the story of Jesus accessible to children worldwide, regardless of location or electricity availability. The project, considered a significant Bible study by Carola and his team, is supported by the Jesus Film Project, a large outreach organisation. He acknowledges the immense prayer support and feels a sense of protection and team spirit in this endeavour.

In 2010, when T C Stallings landed a very small role as an extra in the film Secretariat, he knew he wanted to make acting his career. The 44-year-old Christian explained that he was always interested in acting but didn’t think he could do it. He said his priority is to use his work as a vehicle to share his faith. ‘I try to use all my gifts and talents for Him. Acting gives me an opportunity to reflect all the glory toward Him.’ Today Stallings is known for starring in faith-based films. ‘What makes it easy for me to share my faith is like, “What would God want me to do?” I care more about what He thinks than anybody else. I don’t control the outcomes; I let the Holy Spirit lead.’

Hollywood might seem like a spiritual wasteland, but faith is not absent from Tinseltown. Two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington lends his voice to ‘The Bible Experience,’ an audio Bible featuring top African-American stars. Tyler Perry, Hollywood's current golden boy writer and actor, is against filmmakers who keep their faith ‘in the closet’. Patricia Heaton, a winner of two Emmys, is not shy about making her faith or her opinions heard, including advocating on behalf of an anti-abortion group. Mel Gibson’s film ‘Passion of the Christ’ changed Hollywood attitudes, waking up producers to the box-office potential of Christian audiences. Multibillionaire oilman Philip Anschutz bankrolls some of the most critically-acclaimed and financially successful Christian ethos films of recent years, including ‘Ray’ and ‘The Chronicles of Narnia'.