Not too long ago it was announced that director David Cunningham ( “To End All Wars”, “The Path to 9/11”)– son of YWAM founder Loren Cunningham – was taking on C.S. Lewis’s classic fable “The Great Divorce ” and giving it a big screen treatment. Now he is tackling nothing less than the creation of the universe – and he is going to do it in 3-D. It seems Paramount Pictures is looking at developing “In the Beginning,” a look at the Genesis account of creation, the story of Adam and Eve, their life in the Garden of Eden and more.
Cunningham is working with former Walden Media co-founder Cary Granat, but it sounds like the flick is still not a done deal. The special effects/visuals are being tested in sample footage and it will undoubtedly be quite some time down the road before the movie makes it to a theater near you.
Still, the news has me pondering. With movies such as “Avatar” increasing the interest in the latest technological possibilities as well as the allure of 3-D movies lately, it does seem the time is right to do justice to the epic nature of many a Biblical narrative using 3-D. Now with a talented, intelligent Christian such as Cunningham helming two special-effects laden movies, has Hollywood found a Christian version of Cecil B. DeMille to bring the Bible to life to a new generation? It’s possible.
And here’s a bigger question for you religious movie buffs out there. What Biblical story would you like to see get the no-holds-barred 3-D treatment? My personal wish has always been for Hollywood to get around to doing a truly authentic version of the story of Jonah – you know, minus the Sunday school cutesy spin.