Next year, Joaquin Phoenix will be our Jesus, and that’s not just a euphemism for our fandom. The actor plays the son of God in “Mary Magdalene,” which will see Rooney Mara in the title role as Christ’s partner.
Directed by Garth Davis (“Lion“), and co-starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Tahar Rahim, the movie will follow Mary’s path to faith, as Jesus gains followers to his flock. But as we all know, his journey has plenty of peril. Here’s the official synopsis:
Set in the Holy Land in the first century C.E., a young woman leaves her small fishing village and traditional family behind to join a radical new social movement. At its head is a charismatic leader, Jesus of Nazareth, who promises that the world is changing. Mary is searching for a new way of living, and an authenticity that is denied her by the rigid hierarchies of the day. As the notoriety of the group spread and more are drawn to follow Jesus’ inspirational message, Mary’s spiritual journey places her at the heart of a story that will lead to the capital city of Jerusalem, where she must confront the reality of Jesus’ destiny and her own place within it.
“Mary Magdalene” was originally scheduled to be released in North America on March 30, 2018 by The Weinstein Company. No word yet if that’s still the plan or if they will even be a studio by that point, so we’ll just have to wait and see. [Indiewire]
