Late last year, we learned that Chris Columbus’ 1492 Pictures and CJ Entertainment had acquired the rights to adapt Anne Rice's book Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt for a feature film. Now it looks like the search for Jesus has begun with a worldwide online casting call.
Rice's story follows Christ when he was seven years old and just beginning to come to understand his divine nature. The fictional account is told from Jesus' perspective as his family departs Egypt and heads to Nazareth. As we reported last December, Cyrus Nowrasteh will direct the film, based on a screenplay he co-wrote with Betsy Nowrasteh. It's expected to start shooting in Italy in March 2013, and it looks like they're ready to cast their Jesus.
Via PRWeb, casting directors Suzanne Smith, Elizabeth Barnes, and Corbin Bronson are going through Cast It Talent to host an online casting call for the part. Here's how the role is described:
He is a very special seven-year-old boy with a buoyant energy and magnetic charm, as well as quiet intensity. In many ways a normal young boy, he is beginning to understand his divine nature; at times we see in him a soulful quality, an unspoken intelligence and a deep stillness. Should have no specific regional accent. We will be looking at boys who are age 7 to 10 (if 9/10 then small for their age) and will consider children of all ethnicities.
At the risk of stating the obvious, it'll be a challenging role to play, to say the least, not only because this is a book adaptation, which brings its own set of expectations from hopeful readers who want to see the film done right, but also because the part is based on a beloved - and literally worshipped - historical figure. Needless to say, the right casting will likely be crucial in the success of the film. Reaching out online may be their best bet to ensure they explore as many candidates as possible before making their choice.
More information on how to audition can be found at CTLOpenCall.com.
And for those who want to read Rice's book, Amazon has various editions of it (including eBook and an audio version) here.
