Why Oscar Isaac Was Excited to Portray Jesus in This Movie
By Movieguide® Contributor
STAR WARS actor Oscar Isaac explained why he was so energized to take on the role of Jesus in the upcoming animated movie THE KING OF KINGS.
“When we started working on the character of Jesus and what he would sound like, there was a lot of room to try to connect it to His humor,” Isaac said, explaining that the team hopes they can connect with a new audience through this humor instead of falling on the existing trope of seriousness that is often used for Jesus.
The movie, however, will still venerate the Lord and the message He came to proclaim. Not only that, but KING OF KINGS also explains how God’s kingdom is present today and makes a difference in the modern world.
“The things that [Jesus] represents — inner strength, that the Kingdom of Heaven is here already — that kind of energy is one that I was excited to incorporate in the story,” Isaac said.
KING OF KINGS will loosely follow the story of Charles Dickens’ short story The Life of Our Lord, which tells the story of Jesus’ life and resurrection through a father telling his son anecdotes of Jesus’ life.
It was first announced that Isaac would be playing Jesus in the movie last spring with multiple high profile actors signing onto the project shortly after. Along with Isaac in the role of Jesus, Kenneth Branagh will play Dickens, Uma Thurman will play Dickens’ wife, Catherine, Roman Griffin Davis will play Dickens’ son, Walter Forest Whitaker will play the Apostle Peter, Mark Hamill will play King Herod and Pierce Brosnan will play Pontius Pilot.
READ MORE: EVERYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT ANGEL STUDIOS’ NEW ANIMATED PICTURE ABOUT JESUS
THE KING OF KINGS was co-written by Seong-ho Jang, who will also serve as the movie’s director.
“For the past 2,000-plus years, the story of Jesus has been told and retold in countless ways across virtually every country on the planet,” co-writer and director Seong-ho Jang told Animation Magazine. “This is a deeply personal story to all of us on the production crew, and we know it resonates with so many around the world.”
“The added joy of this little-known iteration is that you see the story unfold not only from Charles Dickens’ unique literary perspective, but through his son Walter’s eyes — which ultimately provides young viewers with even greater access and understanding of who Jesus was and all that he represents,” Jang added.
THE KING OF KINGS will hit theaters on April 11.
READ MORE: ANIMATED MOVIE KING OF KINGS CASTS OSCAR ISAAC AS JESUS
- Content: +3Share:
- Content: +3