1000+ unique media and news posts every 24 hours…
The director of the biblical epic ‘Mary’ is coming to Netflix this Christmas season, says he hopes audiences will feel “closer” to the famous mother of Jesus after seeing his retelling of the classic Christmas story.
“Mary” comes to the streaming platform on December 6 with Noa Cohen as Mary, Ido Tako as Joseph and Academy Award-winning actor Anthony Hopkins as King Herod.
“Chosen to bring the Messiah into the world, Mary is shunned after a miraculous conception and forced into hiding. When King Herod orders a murderous hunt for her newborn baby, Mary and Joseph go on the run – bound by faith and driven by courage – to save his life at all costs.” Netflix writes.
Director DJ Caruso told Fox News Digital that he wanted to make a film focusing on Mary because he felt she was an overlooked part of the Christmas story and had an inspiring and “very human” story to tell.
THIS IS WHY MARY, MOTHER OF GOD, IS SUCH A KEY FIGURE IN THE ADVENT SEASON
“I feel like she’s one of the most special women to ever walk this earth. But in the movies, she didn’t really get her due,” Caruso said.
“I also felt it was important for the younger generation to see what it was like to be her when she was a young woman and all this was forced on her and the decisions she had to make and all the things she had to do. So I just wanted to make it a celebration for a young woman who took on one of these great tasks and gave us the greatest gift,” he continued.
Caruso, who directed thrillers like “Eagle Eye” and more recently the film adaptation of Francine Rivers’ novel “Redeeming Love,” said he felt a great responsibility to get Mary’s story right. Not only because of his Catholic faith, he said, but also because he believes it is important to improve the storytelling and production quality of faith-based films.
“You feel like there’s a responsibility. You have a big responsibility to show Mary and all these other characters in a high light,” he said.
MARTIN SCORSESE BRINGS JOHN THE BAPTIST’S STORY OF CHALLENGE AND FAITH TO FOX NATION
“I feel like a lot of faith-based films, whether they’re made by faith-based directors or not, are not made at a really high cinematic level,” Caruso said. “They were actually just well-intentioned message videos.”
Hit shows like Dallas Jenkins’ “The Chosen” have reversed that trend in recent years, he said, and Hollywood has taken notice.
“I wanted to do my best for God and then let it take care of itself,” Caruso said.
After Netflix released the trailer for “Mary” on November 12, the film was relentlessly attacked by anti-Israel critics on social media criticizing the filmmakers for casting Israeli actors in the roles of Mary and Joseph.
NETFLIX’S ‘MARY’ ATTRACTS SOCIAL MEDIA PLAY FOR CASTING ISRAELI ACTRESS AS THE MOTHER OF JESUS
Caruso said Fox News digital that it was important for him to show respect to all religions in his portrayal of the beloved and respected figure.
“I took her story and tried to tell it as true as I could,” Caruso said.
The film draws on canonized Scripture as well as non-canonical texts such as the Gospel of James in its portrayal of Mary’s early life.
The director said he wants audiences to “love and adore” Mary, but also be inspired by the struggles she has overcome.
“I want people to get closer to Mary and understand that if she wants to do this, like any hero in a book, in a movie or whatever, there will be great costs and sacrifices to do something great,” he says. said.
“I want people to say, ‘I can empathize now… Instead of sitting here watching what happened to them, I’m in the story and seeing what it looks like to be her and feel what she had to go through.” Caruso said. “And so it’s a much more profound experience than just looking at it from a distance.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
1000+ unique media and news posts every 24 hours…