The idea of Rooney Mara playing Mary Magdalene has not, to put it gently, been greeted with waves of adulation. Ditto Joaquin Phoenix as Jesus. There might be a better reaction to news that Chiwetel Ejiofor is in talks to take on the role of Peter in Mary Magdalene.
Peter, of course, is one of the fixtures of the New Testament, and one of Jesus' closest and most trusted officials. Despite, of course, that awkward moment when he denied him three times, only to be forgiven once Jesus rose from the dead. Saint Peter, as he was eventually known, was ordained by Jesus as the first Pope.
Garth Davis is in the director's chair, with a script written by Helen Edmundson and Philippa Goslett. It's sure to be controversial, even as it tries to take a look at one of the most controversial figures in the story of Jesus. Production should kick off this summer.
Ejiofor will next be seen in Marvel's Doctor Strange, which will arrive here on October 28.