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By Gavin Boyle
Seong-Ho Jang, the director of KING OF KINGS, discussed the heart behind his movie and how he hopes it will help audiences of all ages see the story of Jesus in a new way.
“It was challenging to find a fresh new way to tell this ancient story. The story of Jesus is widespread and is known by a lot of people, and it’s also known by those people who are not going to church,” Jang told Movieguide®. “So, I thought, there’s no meaning if I just follow the old practice and just redo what everyone else has done so far. So, I thought if I was able to deliver the story through Charles Dickens’ great book, I thought it would be very meaningful for the audience to watch.”
“This story of Jesus is kind of heavy, and at the same time, it’s a very complicated story,” Jang continued. “It was very hard to deliver this story and, at the same time, provide entertainment for viewers. I wanted to make it so that the entire family can go to the cinema…with this film and really enjoy it. So, that level of balance was difficult for me as the director, but I think it has successfully come out.”
Along with a new way to approach the story of Jesus’ life, KING OF KINGS also draws audiences through a cast that features recognizable actors, along with an emphasis on the parts of Jesus’ story not always told.
“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,” Oscar Isaac, who plays Jesus, said, when explaining how the movie looks to avoid the common tropes used when portraying Jesus.
Along with Isaac, the movie features the voices of Kenneth Branagh, Uma Thurman and Roman Griffin Davis. Each will play a different part of Dickens’ family, who act out roles in Jesus’ story as they walk through the Gospel together.
Related: Animated Movie KING OF KINGS Casts Oscar Isaac as Jesus
“It is through the Dickens family that our audiences experience the life of Jesus Christ, and Kenneth Branagh, Uma Thurman and Roman Griffin Davis bring all the emotion, awe, heart and gravitas to these essential characters,” said producer Anfernee Kim. “These three actors are at the core of our story, and anchor a truly impressive cast.”
KING OF KINGS hits theaters on April 11.
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