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'Young Messiah' Takes a Look at Life of Christ as a Boy

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Filmmakers have taken a look at the life of Christ from a new perspective in "Young Messiah." The film hits theaters March 11 and as the title suggests it tells the story of a much younger Jesus.

The movie is based on author Anne Rice's novel Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt. Cyrus Nowrasteh directed the film and co-wrote the screenplay with his wife.

"There's inherent risks when you are going into material that is not directly from the Bible. So, we took that responsibility very seriously," Nowrasteh told CBN's Efrem Graham.

The Young Messiah hits theatres this week. Click play to watch a 'Focus on the Family' Plugged-In movie review. 

"We talked to theologians, scholars, priests, pastors, friends," he added.

So, how does a story about Jesus as a child differ from the Jesus we are so familiar with, as an adult in the Bible?

"Well the Jesus that we are familiar with was our God. For how he acted and acts as a child in our movie, he has to be consistent," Nowrasteh said.

Adam Graves Neal plays young Jesus. Nowrasteh said finding the actor was no easy feat.

"We did a global search. I had casting directors all over the world. One day I got a call from a casting director in London who said we just saw a child who made the hair stand up on the back of our necks," Nowrasteh recalled. "(He) sent me the tape. I flew to London, put him through an exhaustive audition process."

"Adam is wonderful. He's got this quality on screen that is very rare... which is the camera loves him. And if he is playing Jesus, that helps," he added.

Nowrasteh said he felt like the journey to making this film started "years ago."

"I am of Muslim origin. I was raised in a secular home. It started when I got married and has been a gradual process through the years, through the experiences of my own sons," he explained.

"And it seemed sort of natural to me and perhaps, pre-ordained that I should tell this story. It just felt right, " he said.


 

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About The Author

Efrem Graham
Efrem
Graham

Efrem Graham is an award-winning journalist who came to CBN News from the ABC-owned and operated station in Toledo, Ohio. His most recent honor came as co-anchor of the newscast that earned the station’s morning news program its first Emmy Award. Efrem was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, but his formal television and journalism career was born across the Hudson River in New York City. He began as an NBC Page and quickly landed opportunities to work behind-the-scenes in local news, network news, entertainment, and the network’s Corporate Communications Department. His work earned him the NBC