'Suing the Devil' Movie Shows Promise, Lacks Promotion
An upcoming film about a man who files suit against Satan and finds himself with "the trial of the century" is currently in post-production and expected to hit theaters in 2011.
Though still largely off the radar of most Christians, "Suing the Devil" has generated excitement among those who have caught wind of it, with some describing it as a cross between C.S. Lewis' classic tale The Screwtape Letters and Hollywood blockbuster "A Few Good Men."
The film stars Hollywood actors Tom Sizemore and Malcolm McDowell (who plays Satan), as well as "Facing The Giants" actress Shannen Fields and CCM songstress Rebecca St. James, among other notable celebrities.
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Last month, the film released its first trailer and next month it plans to hold its first premiere.
Though the film's promoters have yet to rally grassroots support through an e-mail list, blog, Facebook page, or Twitter account as other independent Christian films more recently have, they are shooting for an international release in over 1,000 theaters – a big feat for an independent Christian film.
To date, the widest release among independent Christian films was that of the VeggieTales flick "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything," which hit 1,337 theaters opening weekend. Notably, however, the highest grossing independent Christian film, "Fireproof," only debuted in 839 theaters but was able to reach No. 4 in the Box office with an opening gross of $6.8 million. The grassroots-supported movie went on to gross over $33.4 million – nearly three times more than "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything."
To date, the "Fireproof" fan page on Facebook has nearly 180 thousand fans.
(Hint to "Suing the Devil" promoters: You may want to get moving on building up your fan base)
Filmed mostly in Sydney, "Suing the Devil" centers around Luke O'Brien, a washed-up janitor turned night law student, who decides to sue Satan for $8 trillion dollars. On the last day before Luke files a default judgment, Satan appears to defend himself – backed by ten of the country's best trial lawyers.
"The film will show the spiritual battle all of us face," says Tim Chey, the film's director. "We're at a point in human history where the line is being drawn in the sand – who do you stand with?"
According to the film's promoters "Suing the Devil" has already been under attack from atheists, media outlets, devil worshippers, and other sources.
"We just keep upholding the 'Suing The Devil' in prayer," says Justin Dradi, the associate producer of the film. "No weapon formed against us will prosper."
According to the Internet Movie Database, the release date for "Suing the Devil" is currently Jan. 21, 2011.
