RoboChrist: Director Paul Verhoeven plans his own take on Jesus

And it doesn’t sound like something most people reading this will want to see:

Deadline reports that the Robocop and Total Recall filmmaker has an alternate take on the life of Jesus Christ brewing, based on his book Jesus of Nazareth that he co-wrote, and the film is sure to stir up some controversy. More below!

Pulp Fiction co-writer Roger Avary is writing the movie, which offers a radically different take on the life of Jesus Christ than what Christians believe. Verhoeven studied the life of Christ for nearly twenty years, and doesn’t believe that immaculate conception, any of Jesus’ miracles, or the resurrection actually happened. He even goes as far as to imply that Christ was born because his mother was raped by Roman soldiers, something I’m sure will generate a ton of publicity because of protests from believers everywhere. Verhoeven seems to be coming at this project with mostly positive intentions, though, claiming he wants to explore the messages that Jesus preached and concentrate on how He was a radical prophet who revolutionized the field of ethics. Since none of the major studios would touch a project like this, it’s being made as an indie film and funded by Muse Productions, so we’ll see if this one ever leaves the development stages or if Verhoeven can bring Jesus’ messages to the world in a shocking new way.