In this month's faith & family media news: Chris Pratt is executive producer of a new film about how U.S. Army WWII and Korean War combat chaplain Father Emil Kapaun helped a young former chaplain find his way; remains come to light during the restoration of Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral; and The Chosen creator Dallas Jenkins lands on a surprising list.
Chris Pratt Helps Honor Military Chaplains
Actor Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy), a vocal Christian, is an executive producer on Fighting Spirit: A Combat Chaplain's Journey, a new film hitting select theaters on Nov. 8 (click here for a list of cities; specific theaters and showtimes will be announced Nov. 1).
Produced by Catholic company Paulist Productions, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps, the film -- being released just before Veterans Day -- follows a former chaplain who's struggling with life after the military. But when the remains of Father Kapaun are finally identified after 70 years and begin their journey back to the U.S., the young chaplain makes his own journey to meet them.
Along the way, he's inspired by the untold stories of the 419 U.S. military chaplains who -- as unarmed noncombatants -- gave their lives in service.
Co-directors and co-writers for Fighting Spirit: A Combat Chaplain's Journey are Rich Hull and former combat chaplain Justin D. Roberts.
Currently a Servant of God, the first step on the path to sainthood, Father Kapaun continued to minister to soldiers while a Korean War POW, until his death in a prison camp in 1951. Posthumously, he was awarded the U.S. Armed Forces Medal of Honor.
From Deadline.com:
Said Pratt, “I’m so excited for audiences to see this film theatrically on Veterans Day. The work done by combat chaplains to support our soldiers through issues of life and death on the frontlines is truly extraordinary, and to be part of celebrating this story of a chaplain’s journey in such a cinematic way is an honor.”
PBS' Nova Reveals the Lost Tombs of Notre Dame
In April 2019, a devastating fire toppled the spire, destroyed the roof, and damaged much of the interior of Notre-Dame-de-Paris. But, after a massive restoration effort (which will be ongoing for at least two more years), the cathedral plans to reopen to the public in Dec. 2024.
Its famous bells rang from the cathedral for the first time since the fire during the Opening Ceremonies of the Paris Olympic Games this past summer.
The restoration process also gave archaeologists an opportunity to explore parts of the cathedral long hidden from view. On Dec. 18, PBS' Nova series premieres Lost Tombs of Notre Dame, showcasing a discovery and a mystery.
From PBS:
After the devastating 2019 fire at Notre Dame, two mysterious sarcophaguses were discovered under the cathedral’s stone floor. Who is buried in them, and what secrets will these coffins reveal? Follow a team of archaeologists and historians as they attempt to solve centuries-old mysteries using the latest scientific investigation techniques. What can forensic analysis of the remains reveal about one of the world’s most famous cathedrals and those who devoted their lives to it?
Nova hasn't released a trailer yet, but here's a 2022 news report about the discovery:
Don't want to reveal spoilers, but if you can't wait, here's a report from the U.K. Guardian from 2022, and another, from BBC News in September, that reveal the identities of sarcophagi's inhabitants.
Hollywood Takes Note of The Chosen Creator
On Oct. 24, The Hollywood Reporter released a list called The 50 Most Powerful TV Producers of 2024.
Many of the names are people you might expect, such as David Benioff and D.B. Weiss (Game of Thrones) and their 3 Body Problem partner Alexander Woo; Greg Berlanti, who has produced or created over 40 shows, including may superhero tales for The CW; Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey); Shonda Rhimes (Bridgerton); and David E. Kelley, the king of the legal drama.
But also on the list is Dallas Jenkins, creator/director of The Chosen and director/co-writer of the theatrical film The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, going into wide release on Nov. 8.
Wrote THR:
The writer-director has redefined success in the struggling TV economy with a unique distribution model that funnels The Chosen to movie theaters before it is reborn on a dedicated app, Prime Video, Peacock and, eventually, The CW. The strategy has helped the serialized retelling of the Jesus story reach an estimated 200 million viewers across the globe, over 5,000 of them recently gathering at the second annual ChosenCon, affording Jenkins the chance to build his own 80,000-square-foot studio facility in Texas for his series’ planned seven seasons.
On his Facebook page, all Jenkins had to say was "Well this was certainly lovely..."
Another producer on the list is Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan, who has parlayed the success of the hard-hitting Western drama into several spinoffs. This isn't a new concept, as comic books have been doing it for decades (and Disney has been doing it with Star Wars for a while now, with varying results).
Like Sheridan and these other folks, Jenkins is expanding the universe of The Chosen into sequel and prequel territory, but also a children's animated series, and even a reality show -- as I outlined in detail here last month.
While the results of their efforts are wildly different, both Jenkins and Sheridan combine filmmaking skills with ambitious storytelling and an entrepreneurial spirit (and in Jenkins' case, a bit of the Holy Spirit as well).
In a livestream last Sunday, Jenkins revealed that Season 5 of The Chosen would be released in April 2025.
He said, "It is coming to theatres, the entire season, not exactly all at once, but you will have a chance during the theatrical release to at some point, spend an entire day watching the entire season."
In the meantime, here's a peek at The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (watch this space for more on that soon).
Image: Fighting Spirit: A Combat Chaplain's Journey/Falling Forward Films
Kate O’Hare, a longtime entertainment journalist, is Social Media Content Manager and Blog Editor at Family Theater Productions.
Recent posts:
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