After years spent producing the Harry Potter films, you might think David Heyman would want to take a much longer break before tackling the subject of another best-selling book. But he’s instead opted for the big one – stepping aboard to oversee an adaptation of Reza Aslan’s Jesus-centric tome **Zealot.
Subtitled The Life And Times Of Jesus Of Nazareth, the book hit shelves last year, earning plenty of positive reviews, and aims to offer a historical account of the life of Christ, looking at religious perspectives on him and the birth of Christianity. It’s set in 1st century Palestine and apparently questions long-held assumptions about the man from Galilee.
“Sifting through centuries of mythmaking, Dr. Aslan sheds light on one of history’s most influential and enigmatic characters by examining Jesus through the lens of the tumultuous era in which he lived,” is how Lionsgate framed the tone when the company announced it had purchased the rights in December.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon writer / producer James Schamus is aboard to tackle the script, which is hoping to jump aboard the current bandwagon for religious titles, though it is likely to prove controversial. Deadline reports that plenty of big-name directors have already shown an interest, so expect this one to move ahead quickly.