Billy Graham, one of the most influential evangelicals in history, is finally due for the big screen treatment. Variety reports that an independent film production has begun shooting the bio pic in Tennessee. Without any sex scandals or other juicy scandals in Graham’s past, it looks like the film will focus primarily on his early years on a farm and the early days of his ministry in a post-Word War II society.

It’s difficult to know what to expect from this film as there’s an unlikely mix of Hollywood icons involved in the project. Former teen heartthrob Robby “Ice Castles” Benson is directing the project and Oscar winner Martin Landau is co-starring along with actor Armie Hammar, who will be starring in the upcoming comic book action adventure “Justice League.”
However, I am somewhat hopeful that this project has cinematic promise. In a recent interview with Christianity Today one of the producers said he has enormous respect for Graham and other execs in the project have spoken in previous Variety interviews of a dedication to representing the interests of those in the heartland in a more respectful manner than Hollywood has done in the past.