| A momentous undertaking involving a creative constituency of award-winning artists and esteemed academic and theological consultants from around the world, Visual Bible's THE GOSPEL OF JOHN is an ambitious motion picture that has been adapted for the screen on a word for word basis from the American Bible Society's Good News Bible.
The story of Jesus' life as recounted by His disciple John, this three-hour epic feature film draws its audience into antiquity by way of meticulous recreation, including an original musical score complete with instrumental sounds of the time. This ambitious motion picture follows the Gospel precisely, neither adding to the story from other Gospels, nor omitting complex passages.
Narrated by renowned Canadian actor Christopher Plummer with a distinguished cast from Canada and the United Kingdom selected primarily from Canada's prestigious Stratford Festival and Soulpepper Theatre Company, as well as Britain's Royal Shakespeare Company and Royal National Theatre , it features British actor Henry Ian Cusick in the seminal role of Jesus Christ.
John is the best-loved but least understood of the gospels, presenting a uniquely human portrait of Jesus. Intimate and reflective, THE GOSPEL OF JOHN provides audiences with an unparalleled opportunity to understand the tumultuous period in history at the time of Jesus Christ.
The Film:
The Gospel of John is a three-hour epic feature on the story of Jesus’ life as recounted by His disciple John. It is the first major theatrical picture of an entire book of the Bible adapted on a word for word basis.
Screenplay:
The Gospel of John has been adapted for the screen on a word for word basis from the American Bible Society’s Good News Bible. John is the best loved of the Four Gospels, presenting a uniquely human portrait of Jesus. The film is both intimate and reflective and provides audiences an unparalleled opportunity to understand the tumultuous period in history at the time of Jesus Christ. This ambitious motion picture follows the Gospel precisely, neither adding to the story from other
Gospels, nor omitting complex passages.
The Production:
Unique in its approach and unwavering in its commitment to meticulously represent the Biblical time of Christ, every aspect of the film’s production; from costume design to ancient architecture and historic music was painstakingly researched.
The Gospel of John was produced under the auspices of the Canada/U.K. Production Treaty.
The Team:
A momentous undertaking involving a creative constituency of Academy®, Emmy®, and Tony® award-winning artists and esteemed academic and theological consultants from around the world who bring to life with integrity, and accuracy, one of the best-loved books of the best-selling book of all time, the Bible.
The Gospel of John features approximately 75 principal actors from the Canadian and British stage and nearly 2500 extras For more complete biographical information, please see the Cast Bios.
Jesus:
Henry Ian Cusick is a classically-trained stage actor with the world-renowned Royal Shakespeare Co. whose theatrical credits include principal roles in Othello, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Richard II, and Anthony and Cleopatra.
Narrator:
Christopher Plummer is a multiple Tony® and Emmy® Award-winning veteran of the stage and screen with roles in more than 80 motion pictures including A Beautiful Mind, Ararat, The Insider, The Sound of Music and Dolores Claiborne.
John:
Stuart Bunce is equally comfortable in the various mediums of film, television, and the stage, with roles in productions including the BBC’s Scarlet Pimpernel, the Royal Shakespeare Company’s King Lear, and the recent remake of Spartacus.
Peter:
Daniel Kash’s theatrical talents have garnered international acclaim and honors such as the Grand Prix de la Competition Festival Cinema Tout Ecran, the Golden Gate Award, and two Gemini Award nominations for Best Actor. His theatrical credits include A Streetcar Named Desire, Joan of Arc and Macbeth.
Leading Pharisee:
Richard Lintern, has played opposite Sophia Loren in the mini-series entitled Moma Lucia. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, Lintern’s theatrical credits include The Merchant of Venice, Hamlet, and The Duchess of Malfi.
Pilate:
Stephen Russell is a veteran of more than 20 seasons at the Stratford Festival Theater, with title roles in Richard II, and Henry IV. Russell’s film and television performances include appearances in Timothy Findley’s The Wars, Sweating Bullets and A Family of Cops, starring Charles Bronson.
The Gospel of John features an award-winning creative team with film and stage credits including Chicago, Emma, Star Wars, Tomorrow Never Dies, Ragtime, and Fosse.
Producer:
Garth Drabinsky, co-producer of six movies including The Silent Partner and The Changeling, both Canadian Film Award winners for Best Picture, and Tribute, an Academy Award®-nominee. A recipient of 19 Tony® Awards, Drabinsky’s Broadway productions include Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Fosse, Showboat, Barrymore, and the internationally acclaimed Ragtime.
Exec. Producer:
Sandy Pearl, an Emmy® Award-winning film and TV producer, who has been the creative force behind the development and production of numerous films, television and theatrical projects including Creating Ragtime, a PBS/Great Performances documentary.
Exec. Producer:
Joel Michaels, a six-time Academy Award®-nominee and Emmy® Award-winning film producer with big screen hits including Terminator 3 starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Universal Soldiers starring Jean Claude Van Damme.
Director:
Philip Saville, a film and TV director with multiple prestigious awards including The Peabody Prize, 2 ACE Awards, multiple BAFTA awards. His directorial credits include Metroland, Those Glory, Glory Days, Hamlet, and Oedipus.
Screenwriter:
John Goldsmith, an internationally known Emmy®-nominated screenwriter, whose credits include Victoria and Albert, Catherine the Great, and Danny Champion of the World.
The Musical Score:
The Gospel of John features an original musical score recorded by the world-renowned Philharmonia Orchestra at Air Lyndhurst Studios in London. Written by acclaimed film and television composer, Jeff Danna (The Kid Stays in the Picture, The Grey Zone, and A Wrinkle in Time).
Using ancient instruments to achieve authentic sounds of the period, The Gospel of John is conducted by celebrated Maestro Nicholas Dodd (Changing Lanes, Girl Interrupted, and The World is Not Enough) and recorded with the world-renowned Philharmonia Orchestra at Air Lyndhurst Studios in London, England.
The Biblical Translation:
First published in 1966, the American Bible Society’s Good News Bible was written in easily understood language. Since then, some 138 million copies of the Good News Translation Bible and Good News Translation New Testament have been printed in more than 150 different languages.
The Film Company:
The Gospel of John is a production of Visual Bible International, Inc. a publicly traded faith-based media company. The company has secured exclusive, worldwide rights for select translations of both the Old and New Testaments on a word for word basis. This Toronto-based company is committed to creating films with exceptional production values that maintain the integrity of the Biblical works.
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Mother of Jesus and Jesus at Wedding in Cana.
The wedding at Cana.
Wonderful attention to detail.
