Various Australian news outlets are reporting that local producer Liz Watts has joined the team behind Mary Magdalene, an upcoming film that currently has Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara attached to play Jesus and the Magdalene, respectively.
Along the way, these reports also give us a few more hints about the movie’s plot:
“Mary Magdalene is an authentic and humanistic portrait of one of the most enigmatic and misunderstood spiritual figures in history,” a press statement read.
“Set in the Holy Land in the first century, the film is the story of a young woman who leaves her small fishing village and family behind to join a new movement.
“Inspired by its charismatic leader, Jesus of Nazareth, and his teachings, Mary sets out with the disciples on the journey to Jerusalem, where she finds herself at the heart of the founding story of Christianity.”
Three quick questions come to mind.
First: will Mary Magdalene be the only woman who joins the disciples on their journey to Jerusalem? What about the other women mentioned in Luke 8:1-3?
Second: will the film depict Jesus’ exorcism of Mary Magdalene (as per Luke 8:2)?
Third: when the press release says Mary leaves her “family” behind, is it talking about her parents and siblings or her husband and children? (The male disciples left their spouses and children to follow Jesus, so why not the female disciples too?)
The film is reportedly aiming to start shooting in Sicily in October.
— The photo at the top of this post is of Mary Magdalene star Rooney Mara in Carol.
