Matrix producer plans Muhammad biopic

[BloodEclipse]

Barrie Osborne, part of the Oscar-winning team behind the Lord of the Rings films, says the new production 'will educate people about the true meaning of Islam'.



Producer Barrie Osborne cast Keanu Reeves as the messiah in The Matrix and helped defeat the dark lord Sauron in his record-breaking Lord of the Rings trilogy. Now the Oscar-winning American film-maker is set to embark on his most perilous quest to date: making a big-screen biopic of the prophet Muhammad.
Budgeted at around $150m (£91.5m), the film will chart Muhammad's life and examine his teachings. Osborne told Reuters that he envisages it as "an international epic production aimed at bridging cultures. The film will educate people about the true meaning of Islam".
Osborne's production will reportedly feature English-speaking Muslim actors. It is backed by the Qatar-based production company Alnoor Holdings, who have installed the Muslim scholar Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi to oversee all aspects of the shoot. In accordance with Islamic law, the prophet will not actually be depicted on screen.
"The film will shed light on the Prophet's life since before his birth to his death," Ahmed Abdullah Al-Mustafa, Alnoor's chairman, told al-Jazeera. "It will highlight the humanity of Prophet Muhammad."
The as-yet-untitled picture is due to go before the cameras in 2011. It remains to be seen, however, whether it will be beaten to cinemas by another Muhammad-themed drama. Late last year, producer Oscar Zoghbi announced plans to remake The Message, his controversial 1976 drama that sparked a fatal siege by protesters in Washington DC. The new version, entitled The Messenger of Peace, is currently still in development.

In accordance with Islamic law, the prophet will not actually be depicted on screen.

This will make for an interesting concept.

 

[spartan933]

I wonder how many death threats they are going to receive.

 

[haldir]

Sounds like they have decided to try to win hearts and minds. Maybe it has occurred to them that Americans in general don't take well to their usual methods.

 

[Big John]

Wonder how they will depict the child bride or some of the other unspeakable issues.

 

[BloodEclipse]

Think we will get to see the Angel Gabriel?

 

[Big John]

Think we will get to see the Angel Gabriel?

Wrong movie that was "Constantine"

 

[henktermaat]

I for one am ready to get all of these false, violent associations of Islam out of my head. This movie will be great to improve Islam's standing in the world.

 

[RCB]

In all fairness, it is extremists that cling onto a few verses and base their whole life around that.

I am a Christian but have seen many people cling onto one verse taken out of context and make it their life. Some are blatant misinterpretations.

It happens with all aspects of law. Even legally. Look at our own legislators. How many loop holes do they trod through?

They take one piece of law and use it like hammer, often against the original intent.

Even athiests, who don't believe in God or anything else. I have seen many climb aboard organizations such as the new Greenpeace, doing whatever they can to "save the planet" from people, even though evolution would say that the planet (and creatures within) will adapt to the new environment, and should logically create creatures to compete with us.

For extremists, its about finding an excuse to lord over someone else. It's not about helping people or even about following a certain belief. Its purely about conflict and the desire for victory.

I doubt I will see this film, but it may help dispel many rumors.

To understand people though, only requires a look at history.

 

[rambone]

Here's what happened when someone made a cartoon of Muhammed.

 

[lashicoN]

"In accordance with Islamic law, the prophet will not actually be depicted on screen."

I don't understand that line at all. How do you make a movie about a person without showing them? Are you going to follow his shadow around? It would be like making the next Batman without showing Batman...makes no sense to me. Unless they make the movie like "Bobby", which I haven't seen, but I believe that movie is about a group of people who were affected by Robert Kennedy's assassination. They never actually show Bobby. It just seems like if their goal is to make people understand Islam, they should probably show Muhammad.

 

[ihateiraq]

mel gibson should have produced this movie.

 

[SavageEagle]

"In accordance with Islamic law, the prophet will not actually be depicted on screen."

Hey wow! Look at that guy there!

What guy?

That guy!

I don't see no guy?!?!

Silence! I keeeel you!

mel gibson should have produced this movie.

Mel Gibson! FTW!

In all seriousness, I don't see this going over well. Want to see the religion for what it is, you can borrow my copy of the Quran. Otherwise, leave it alone. They are not a peaceful religion. No religion is. Each has their own fanatics. But when you break the law you break the law. Kill your daughter for converting to Christianity, you commit murder and go meet your maker.

Then He can judge you.

 

[printcraft]

"In accordance with Islamic law, the prophet will not actually be depicted on screen."

Hey wow! Look at that guy there!

What guy?

That guy!

I don't see no guy?!?!

Silence! I keeeel you!

..................

THE MATRIX!!!!!