Looking for more information on Color of the Cross, I found this story from last Monday’s Variety magazine:
The success Mel Gibson had in transforming churchgoers into moviegoers with “The Passion of the Christ” has inspired another indie production on the story of the last hours in the life of Jesus Christ.
But “Color of the Cross,” produced on a tiny $2.5 million budget, will feature a black actor portraying Christ.
Nu-Lite Entertainment production hopes to capitalize on the controversy of depicting a nonwhite Christ.
Under a recently inked deal, 20th Century Fox will distribute the film on homevideo, and the pic’s producers say money from that deal will be put toward the marketing effort for the film’s theatrical release in November. No distrib has been signed yet.
One of the producers is the Rev. Cecil “Chip” Murray, who during his 27 years as pastor at L.A.’s First AME Church used his pulpit to become a national religious and civil-rights leader. He said he hopes the film will reverse negative stereotypes of African Americans.
“We really need to do something about the negative imaging of black America,” he said. “Black America is the only culture that worships in the form of foreign symbols. The good that can be done is that it can help lift people’s interest and combat racism and discrimination.”
While acknowledging the potential for controversy, Murray said the notion that Jesus was African isn’t far-fetched.
“It’s more likely that Jesus was black than it was that Jesus was European,” he said. “It’s not an assertion that is a difficult one.”
“Color of the Cross” will star Jean-Claude La Marre, who is also directing and scripted the film. His past pics include African American-themed Westerns “Gang of Roses,” which starred musicians Lil Kim and Bobby Brown, and “Brothers in Arms.” None have made a big dent at the box office.
Recent portrayals of Jesus as black — whether musician Kanye West posing as Christ on the cover of Rolling Stone or the depiction of Jesus as a modern-world African revolutionary in “Son of Man,” which recently preemed at Sundance — have attracted media coverage.
“Our movie is not about dividing Christians but broadening their perspective,” La Marre said in a statement. “For centuries, Leonardo Da Vinci’s portrayal of Jesus has been widely accepted. We are offering an alternative image. There’s room for all.”
Production got under way earlier this year and will resume later this month. La Marre hopes to have a version of the pic to show to potential theatrical distribs some time in April.
Also producing are Jessie Levostre, Marc Porterfield, Michele Gonda and Kenneth Halsband; Marcello Thedford is co-producer.
In addition to Jesus, black actors will also portray Mary (Debbi Morgan of “Coach Carter” and “Woman Thou Art Loosed”), Joseph and Judas, while the rest of the cast will be white or Middle Eastern. . . .
Unless I missed something, there is no indication whether this film will be set in the past or present — although Murray’s assertion that “Jesus was black”, combined with this reference to “Middle Eastern” actors, suggests it will be set in the past, I think.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In