Can Beyond the Mask Uncover the Secret of God's Not Dead?

After a successful campaign in theaters across the U.S., producers have just pacted with Freestyle Releasing to distribute Beyond The Mask on June 5 for traditional, weeklong runs. The film stars John Rhys-Davies (Killing Jesus, The Lord Of The Rings). The same co-writer of the faith-based phenoms Fireproof and Courageous, Stephen Kendrick, also co-wrote this film.

Freestyle Releasing also distributed God’s Not Dead on behalf of Pure Flix last March to great success. On a $2M budget, they earned a hefty $60.7M gross.

The agreement with Freestyle comes after producers have already pre-sold more than $470K before bowing in theaters this past Monday. Each showing of the $4M-budgeted film played for one night only in each theater. So far, they have played on 365 screens in all 50 states. On Monday, when Beyond The Mask opened on 181 theaters, it had taken in $242K, which translated into a per screen average of $1,300.

The film was co-written by Kendrick (Courageous, Fireproof) and Paul McCusker. It co-stars Kara Kilmer (Chicago Fire) and Andrew Cheney (Seasons Of Grey).

The production, marketing and distribution of Beyond The Mask has been completely grassroots. They started off with a Kickstarter campaign in 2011, raised the money, produced the picture and then worked out a deal with Gathr to help distribute the film. They marketed through churches, social media, home-schooling communities, and with volunteers from across the country.

And this one has a bit of a twist in that it is a period piece. Beyond The Mask follows a leading mercenary for the British East India Company who was double-crossed and is on the run in the American colonies. Working to redeem his name and win back the affections of the woman with whom he’s never been fully truthful, he hides behind a new mask in hopes of thwarting his former employer. As his past life closes in on him, he must somehow gain the trust and the help of his beloved Charlotte — as well as Ben Franklin — while he races against time to defuse a plot of historical proportions. It is being marketed as “a faith-based adventure celebrating grace, liberty and the true freedom that can only be found in Christ.”

“What would I do if we had a huge success? The first thing that comes to mind is creating more films to spread the hope and word of the Gospel and bring stories to families who can enjoy watching them together,” producer Aaron Burns said.

Controversy Surrounds 'Killing Jesus' Movie

The star who plays Jesus in the new miniseries Killing Jesus was raised a Muslim.

The casting of Haaz Sleiman, who was born in Lebanon and came to America when he was 21, is raising eyebrows among Christians.

But the actor is filled with pride over his casting, saying it sends out an important message of tolerance. He told Inside Edition he was raised to respect Jesus’ teachings.

The miniseries is based on Bill O'Reilly's bestselling book. O'Reilly's "Killing Lincoln" and "Killing Kennedy" were also turned into successful TV movies.

His book is not without controversy.  Christians believe that Jesus is God’s son, so why didn't O’Reilly include this central theological underpinning in the book? When 60 Minutes asked this important question, he was candid.

“Because it’s not a religious book,” O’Reilly said, explaining that it’s rooted entirely in history. “There’s no religion in the book — nothing.”

Kelsey Grammer to Star in 'Killing Jesus' Movie

National Geographic Channel has announced many of the cast members for its upcoming TV movie, Killing Jesus, based on the 2013 best-selling book by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard.

The film will chronicle the life of Jesus of Nazareth through the retelling of the political, social and historical conflicts during the Roman Empire that ultimately led to his death.

Kelsey Grammer takes the role of King Herod, the Roman King of Judea who attempted to kill Jesus at his birth.

Stephen Moyer will portray Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor who ordered Jesus' crucifixion.

John Rhys Davies is Annas, a high priest in Jerusalem who first questioned Jesus and his teachings.

The project films this fall under the guidance of U.K.-based director Chris Menaul, with a teleplay from Oscar- and Emmy Award-winning screenwriter Walon Green.

"The film Killing Jesus will break new ground in chronicling the life of the most famous human being who ever lived," said O'Reilly, who also serves as an executive producer.

Killing Jesus is expected to premiere on National Geographic Channel in 2015.

Lifetime Pitches 'The Red Tent'

Another bible-themed longform project is heading to the small screen. Lifetime is going into production with The Red Tent, a two-night miniseries adaptation of the best-selling novel by Anita Diamant published in 1997. The White Queen star Rebecca Ferguson, Minnie Driver (About A Boy) and Homeland alumna Morena Baccarin lead the cast of the four-hour mini. Co-starring in the project, which begins production this month in Morocco, are Game Of Thrones‘ Iain Glen and Will Tudor as well as Debra Winger.

The Red Tent tells the story of Dinah (Ferguson), the daughter of Leah and Jacob, who is only briefly referenced in the Old Testament. The miniseries begins with Dinah’s happy childhood spent inside the red tent where only the women of her tribe are allowed to gather and share the traditions and turmoil of ancient womanhood.

“The Red Tent brings premium and popular elements to a unique and timeless story,” said Lifetime EVP Rob Sharenow. “It perfectly articulates our vision for Lifetime as the destination for epic movie events.” The Red Tent mini has been in development at Lifetime since 2011. Its green light coincides with a great interest in longform TV project with biblical themes following the the blockbuster success of The Bible miniseries on Lifetime sibling History and its feature offshoot Son Of God. A Bible sequel is in the works at NBC, National Geographic Channel has mini Killing Jesus coming up, WGN America has greenlighted 10-part event series Ten Commandments, and Fox just put in development Nazareth, an event series about Jesus’ formative years.

Killing Jesus Becomes a Miniseries

After two very successful movies, National Geographic‘s Killing movie franchise is adding a miniseries: Killing Jesus. Law & Order veteran Walon Green has been tapped to write and executive produce the project, based on the book Killing Jesus: A History by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard.

O’Reilly’s Killing Jesus, which chronicles the events leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion, was published in September. Like the previous entries in Nat Geo’s Killing franchise, Killing Jesus will combine historical insights with dramatic storytelling.  The mini is expected to begin production this summer for a 2015 premiere globally on National Geographic Channel in 171 countries and 45 languages. Last year’s Killing Kennedy became the most-watched program in Nat Geo’s history and garnered SAG, WGA, DGA and PGA Award nominations.

Religion-themed event programming is red-hot right now on the heels of the blockbuster success of History’s The Bible miniseries. A Bible sequel is in the works at NBC, and WGN America recently greenlighted a Ten Commandments event series. .

National Geographic To Produce Killing Jesus

National Geographic Channel is set to adapt Bill O’Reilly's upcoming book Killing Jesus: A History, marking the third telepic partnering of the author, the cable network and Ridley Scott's Scott Free Productions.

The news comes on the heels of the big ratings of O'Reilly's Killing Lincoln in February. The scripted adaptation, starring Billy Campbell as the 16th president and Jesse Johnson as John Wilkes Booth, pulled a record 3.4 million viewers to the cable network. Nat Geo is also in pre-production on O'Reilly's Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot.

O'Reilly, who will serve as executive producer on Killing Jesus, is writing the book with his researcher and partner Martin Dugard. Production on the film is scheduled to begin in the fall.

NGC president Howard Owens tells The Hollywood Reporter: "Killing Lincoln proved our audience's response to factual drama. The audacity of these books is in the way Bill thinks and tells a story. We think it fits really well with the history of the Bible, and we've had a lot of success in the religious genre."

Killing Jesus, as the title implies, follows the events leading up to the crucifixion. And the green light follows the current success of History's religion-themed miniseries The Bible, which has been pulling north of 10 million viewers every Sunday since March 3. Nat Geo's previous religious forays include 2006 special The Gospel of Judas.