The fantasy action adventure movie stars Christian actor Alan Powell and debuts in one month.
Loosely based by the classic 17th century Christian allegory from John Bunyan, this new faith-based film is called Heavenquest: A Pilgrim's Progress, giving a nod in its title to the great literary work that inspired it. The brainchild of director Matt Bilen, the movie, which is his first feature, has some stunning backdrops and loads of CGI.
As for the story, it will feel familiar to fans of Bunyan's magnum opus, though with "some adaptation for contemporary and savvy audiences," as Bilen, a veteran of documentary filmmaking, put it in a statement to The Christian Post. And while his take may be new, the idea came to him while he had the original work in his hands and in a very old fashioned way.
"As I sat reading this to my two sons years ago, I knew that it needed an update, a new vision, a reimagining - something relevant and gritty."
Christian actor Alan Powell, who plays a villain in the piece, and an international cast that includes Australia's Peta Sergeant, Korean-American actor Ricky Kim, South Korea's In-Pyo Cha and Mexican actresses Fernanda Romero and Karyme Lozano will help supply that grit. If the project enjoys success, there will assuredly be more to come because Bilen tells The Christian Post he "wanted to build a world where we could tell more stories in the future."
In something of a distribution twist, the film will premiere digitally well before its wide release next year. That digitial window will last just two days - October 25th and 26th - and will cost you $5.00. You can find out more via this link to the movie's website, where you can also view the trailer.