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[XiaNaphryz]

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118061012

Nicolas Cage is in negotiations to topline "Left Behind," a mainstream reboot of the Christian-themed movie trilogy that will mark the first film from Stoney Lake Entertainment, a new production company led by Paul Lalonde of faith-oriented banner Cloud Ten Pictures.

The "Left Behind" franchise is based on the series of books written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins that have sold more than 65 million copies worldwide.

Lalonde will produce the action thriller with Michael Walker, and co-write the script with John Patus, who wrote 2005's "Left Behind: World at War."

The project, budgeted in the $15 million range, was shopped at last year's American Film Market. Production is expected to begin in early spring with an eye toward wide release in the fourth quarter of 2013. Lalonde told Variety that there is a theatrical guarantee in place from distributor Samuel Goldwyn Films.

The Christian-themed "Left Behind" reboot will follow a group of survivors during the first few hours after the Rapture.

The original trilogy, which launched in 2001, starred Kirk Cameron.

The faith-based film market continues to prove itself profitable Stateside, with Sony having the greatest success thanks to "Courageous," a $2 million pic that grossed $34 million domestically and "Soul Surfer," which took in $43 million in the U.S.

Cage, who recently signed on to topline Richard Kelly's true-crime thriller "Amicus," previously starred in Alex Proyas's "Knowing," which also featured religious themes. Thesp, who will next be seen opposite John Cusack in Emmett/Furla Films' serial-killer thriller "Frozen Ground," is attached to star in two other indie pics: William Friedkin's "I Am Wrath" and David Gordon Green's "Joe."

 

[Interfectum]

 

[speculawyer]

Did he go bankrupt AGAIN?

 

[Protein]

I hope it's Rated R, has grotesque demons in it, ACTUALLY GOOD, and basically Doom 2 the movie. It will be none of these.

The project, budgeted in the $15 million range

Confirmed.

 

[hosannainexcelsis]

This can only end poorly.

 

[Mondriaan]

Knowing was an enjoyable movie, but I most enjoyed the audio work.

 

[Gattsu25]

I hope this happens

 

[Mrs. Manky]

Cage as Carpathia or bust.

 

[Protein]

In that same book ("Glorious Appearing")

Spoiler

Jesus

merely speaks and the bodies of his enemies are ripped open, forcing the Christians to drive carefully to avoid "hitting splayed and filleted bodies of men and women and horses.

.

 

[BarrenMind]

Cage as Carpathia or bust.

David Morse as the pilot. Basically for Langoliers nostalgia.

 

[Squirrel Killer]

Not even crazy Cage can make this shitpile of a book worth watching. God forbid they actually try to make it into a series.

 

[Grifter]

.

what did horses ever do to jesus?

 

[flyover]

Yeah sure why the fuck not.

 

[Pctx]

I knew he was a Christian... I mean just look at the Face Off gif that was posted, he was practically a priest!

 

[dantevsninjas]

I didn't know Sony had a film company dedicated to making films targeted at Evangelicals...those fuckers have their fingers in every pie.

 

[Protein]

I've never even read the books. This movie will be so bad that I hope we get some more Nicolas-Cage-in-bear-suit-punching-woman.gifs

 

[Protein]

Apparently there's an RTS based on Left Behind, called Left Behind: Eternal Forces.

 

[AlexMogil]

Maybe they could tie the sequels all together with Starship Troopers III, Left Behind II, Atlas Shrugged II, and oh, I dunno... Jaws 6?

 

[Sn4ke_911]

 

[Hari Seldon]

I've never even read the books. This movie will be so bad that I hope we get some more Nicolas-Cage-in-bear-suit-punching-woman.gifs

Books are about Twilight level of quality.

They need to pick a different Christian book. Nick Cage staring in Screwtape Letters.

Edit: God damn they are already making a Screwtape Letters movie apparently. Should just get Nick Cage in that! (Or Mel Gibson, he would be a fucking awesome insane Demon)

 

[Kai Dracon]

I once read an in-depth analysis of the first few Left Behind books by a blog critic who held his nose long enough to read like 4 of them.

His conclusion: the storytelling was hilarious in logic and character motivations, the characters were utterly unbelievable and made Atlas Shrugged seem like the most naturalistic and honest take on the human condition, etc.

Mostly he was disturbed by how, he claimed, every character who was one of the "good guys" left behind by God during the years of tribulation, where by the lights of real people, cold sociopaths and fundamentalist Christian hero figures. Essentially, the entire thing was fanfic for fundamentalists who imagined that all those gays, scientists, liberals, and commies were gonna finally get theirs.

So yeah basically it sounds like Atlas Shrugged for north american right wing christians.