Jacque Gray * * Bryce Chamberlain * * Jan Broberg Felt * * Mark Gollaher
Kirby Heyborne * * Roberta Shore * * Michael Flynn * * Richard Clifford * * Bruce Newbold
This project appears to be entirely separate from the Book of Mormon feature film being developed by producers Steven DeVore, Scott Swofford, and Quinn Coleman, director Peter Johnson, and cinematographer Reed Smoot.
The home page of "The Book of Mormon Movie" website (http://www.bookofmormonmovie.com/) is dominated by red-hued graphics depicting the Arabian desert.
A table of contents includes links to the following sections:
Ever since I first saw the Ten Commandments in 1956, I have dreamed about seeing a movie on the Book of Mormon. Stories found throughout the Book of Mormon are among the greatest stories ever told. Now for the first time, you will be able to see these great stories "come to life" on the silver screen!
The musical score will be composed by Robert C. Bowden, former Director of the Mormon Youth Symphony and Chorus and former Associate Conductor of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Mr. Bowden will also conduct the London Symphony Orchestra, the same orchestra that has porvided all the music for "Star Wars." Music from the soundtrack will be available on CD.
The DVD version will allow the viewer to see and hear the movie in Spanish with the simple click of the remote! Also, at any point in the movie, you can click the remote and graphics will appear showing the exact chapter and verse in the book that relates to what you're watching on screen. The DVD version will also show how the movie was made, include outtakes, special effects and interviews with cast members.
The Book of Mormon Movie will be produced in 8 or 9 volumes over the next seven years. The first volume covers 1st Nephi through part of 2nd Nephi and has an anticipated theatrical release date of Spring, 2003.
There are three primary goals in producing the Book of Mormon Movie:
1. Produce a movie that is "true to the book".
2. Produce an Epic motion picture with great entertainment value.
3. Produce a movie that will leave the viewer with a profound desire to read the book.
[This section also features a photograph of Gary Rogers, with the caption, "Gary Rogers: Producer, Writer, Director"]
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In the News
Press releases and news articles....Coming soon!
Casting Call
CASTING SESSION
An open casting session will be held on November 2, 2002 at the Salt Lake Hilton Hotel, 255 South West Temple, from 9:a.m. to 5:p.m.
All actors must be ATTRACTIVE, in excellent physical condition, with EXCEPTIONAL acting talent and ability. Please bring "head shots" if you have them.
Actors should come prepared with a memorized selection of their choice (not to exceed two minutes), showing good emotional range.
The following parts are available:
| Nephi | Male. Age 21-26. Must be large in stature. Minimum of 6 feet or, preferably taller. Must be muscular and very attractive with a "leading man" face. |
| Lehi | Male. Age 55-65. Must have a kindly face. |
| Sariah | Female. Age 40-47 |
| Laman | Male. Age 22-30 |
| Lemuel | Male. Age 22-30 |
| Sam | Male. Age 22-27 |
| Zoram | Male. Age 25-35 |
| Moroni | Male. Age 40-50 |
| Ishmael | Male. Age 60-75 |
| Wife | Female. Age 55-70 |
| Several Males | Ages 20-30 |
| Several Females | Ages 18-30 |
For further information call (801) 557-3515.
On Location
This page will be updated with pictures taken during pre-production and filming of The Book of Mormon Movie. Check back soon for updates.
Feedback/Comments
There is a great deal of excitement surrounding this film! We would like you to share your comments and questions about this movie. We will periodically post your questions and feedback.
We would like to know what part of the world you are from so please be sure to fill in the City, State/Province, and Country boxes.
[An HTML form is provided for submitting feedback. Fields are: Comment or Question; Name; Email; City; State/Province; Country]
Ogden, UT. USA
Well it's about time someone did this! I am just curious how you are going to fit the whole book into a movie?
A: The book will be filmed in 8 or 9 "volumes" or separate movies over the next 7 years.
Salt Lake City, UT
First of all let me just say that I am so excited to see this movie! I can hardly wait to see this book I have read more than any other FINALLY made into a movie for the theater. Do you know when it will be finished and in theaters?
The anticipated release date for volume one is Spring 2003.
Watch Preview
[This page features a QuickTime video featuring a trailer for the project. There is no actual footage, of course, as nothing has been filmed yet. But fancily-lit words appear over a red sand dune:]
ONE OF THE GREATEST
STORIES EVER TOLD...
...WILL SOON COME
TO LIFE!
THE MOTION PICTURE EVENT
YOU'VE WAITED
A LIFETIME TO SEE
LIVE THE
ADVENTURE
WITNESS THE
DRAMA
FEEL THE
POWER
EXPERIENCE THE
BOOK
THE
BOOK OF
MORMON
MOVIE
COMING SOON
[The next-to-the-last phrase, "The Book of Mormon Movie" is shown over a photo of gold plates. The final phrase, "Coming Soon" is shown over a black background.]
[This is a copy of the October 29th press release from the filmmakers. See above.]
If all goes as planned, the recent spate of Mormon movies may be joined in theaters next year by the Mormon movie.
Filmmakers held a press conference Tuesday to announce the start of production on "The Book of Mormon Movie, Volume 1," the first of a series of ambitious feature-film adaptations of stories from the book of scriptures of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
But don't look for movie stars to play the leads, filmmaker Gary Rogers says.
"I think a celebrity would actually detract," Rogers said. "Tom Cruise playing Nephi or Jack Nicholson playing Lehi just wouldn't work. They bring too much baggage with them, not to mention their enormous price tag.
"The Book of Mormon is the draw here, not the actors."
Rogers, a veteran in the television industry, has written a script and will direct the first movie, which he said was inspired by Cecil B. De Mille's Oscar-winning 1956 version of "The Ten Commandments."
"Stories found throughout the Book of Mormon are among the greatest stories ever told," Rogers said. "Now for the first time, you will be able to see these great stories come to life in an epic, multimillion-dollar motion picture on the silver screen."
Rogers said his objective is to not only produce a film that is "true to the book," but one that also has "great entertainment value" and will leave the viewer with a profound desire to read the source material. It will be the first "volume" in a series of movies that will cover events recorded in the books of Nephi.
Still, he acknowledged that it is a risky venture. "Several people have said to me that this is career suicide; 12 million people have read the book and already have a film in mind."
But, he added, "Just as many people have told me that they have been waiting their whole life for this movie."
The funding for the production is already in place. Rogers, the founder of International Television Productions, recently sold that company to devote his attention full time to producing "The Book of Mormon Movie." He has also recruited independent financing.
In addition to announcing the production, Rogers held the news conference to announce an open casting session for the movie in the Salt Lake Hilton Hotel on Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Casting requirements can be found on Rogers' Web site at www.bookofmormonmovie.com or by calling 557-3515.
The score for the film will be composed by Robert C. Bowden, former musical director of the Mormon Youth Symphony and Chorus and former associate conductor of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Plans are for Bowden to conduct the London Symphony Orchestra for the film's soundtrack, the same orchestra used by Oscar-winning composer John Williams for the "Star Wars" scores.
SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah filmmaker Gary Rogers announced this week his plans to produce a multimillion-dollar motion picture project on "The Book of Mormon."
Rogers hoped the announcement would help attract actors for an open audition to be held 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Salt Lake Hilton Hotel, 255 S. West Temple.
The film"s Web site, www.bookofmormonmovie.com, said actors vying for the roles must be "attractive, in excellent physical condition, with exceptional acting talent and ability." Actors should bring resumes and head shots, and should prepare a memorized selection of their choice, not to exceed two minutes. The piece should display an emotional range.
Roles to be cast are:
Nephi, a male age 21-26, who must be 6 feet tall or taller, muscular and attractive with a leading-man face; Lehi, a male age 55-65 with a kindly face; Sariah, a female age 40-47; Laman, a male age 22-30; Lemuel, a male age 22-30; Sam, a male age 22-27; Zoram, a male age 25-35; Moroni, a male age 40-50; Ishmael, a male age 60-75; wife, a female age 55-70; several mates, age 20-30; and additional females age 18-30.
For further information on the audition, call 557-3515.
Rogers said he hopes this film, slated for a spring 2003 theatrical release date, will be the first of eight or nine films based on "The Book of Mormon." Ever since he saw "The 10 Commandments" in 1956, Rogers hoped to make such films on "The Book of Mormon," he said.
Rogers founded International Television Productions, according to the film Web site. ITP, which Rogers recently sold, has multimedia projects for companies including Rockwell International, Coca-Cola, Nissan, Mitsubishi, AT&T, Dow Chemical, Lucent Technologies and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"The Book of Mormon, Volume One" is expected to hit theaters in the Spring of 2003. Gary Rogers, the film's director hopes to bring the book-read by millions of people around the world-to life on the silver screen.
"I think the time is right today," says Rogers. "The technology is here."
"This will be an epic multimillion dollar picture and I'm just taken above myself. It's really a frightening proposition, nearly 12 million L.D.S. members have seen this movie in their minds over and over again and now my job is to meet their expectations."
The images Latter-day Saint faithful see when they try to imagine "The Book of Mormon" stories are those portrayed in Arnold Freeberg's paintings. Now Rogers wants to take that one step further.
"If we can bring them to life with music, sound and action, hopefully it will bring 'The Book of Mormon' to life," says Rogers.
And Rogers notes that there are plenty of good stories to tell.
"There will be all the drama, mystery, intrigue, murder and romance. All of those will be present in the movie."
Since the whole book can't be covered in one film, Rogers plans to make 8 or 9 episodes.
If Rogers showed everything in this book it would have to be rated "R" for violence, but Rogers says he plans to make it "PG" or "PG-13" so that only some of the murder and violence will be in the movie.
"It's my desire that every person who goes into the theater will come out saying that was a good movie," adds Rogers.
The film has not been officially sanctioned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The church's standard procedure is not to comment on commercial ventures. Rogers says he is letting one top church leader see the script to make sure it's accurate.
Auditions are just starting for this movie. The first one is this Saturday at the Hilton Hotel Downtown. For more information click here or go to www.thebookofmormonmovie.com.
[EXCERPTS]
Shortly after the release of God's Army, Richard Dutcher mused to me one day that he was surprised a cluster of LDS movies had not followed in the wake of his success. He need wonder no more. There are more new "Mormon genre" movies in release or being made than the market can likely support. Some will be great. Some will be OK. Too many will be disappointing. A few are likely to be awful.
From a really wonderful web site, ldsfilm.com... comes an almost shocking list of "Mormon movies" announced, in production, promised or being created in the most fanciful of day-dreams kept afloat by nothing but faith. Here is what Mormon movie goers can look for in near future -- presuming of course they get funded, finished and finely made.