Extreme Horror Director to Make The Bible Sequel

Mark Burnett and Roma Downey’s reverent History Channel mini-series The Bible was a huge success earlier this year. Now, History Channel is preparing a “sequel” on the life of Christ – written and produced by the men behind the R-rated horror movies Hostel and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. According to the entertainment industry news website Deadline: Hollywood, History Channel’s proposed sequel – to be titled Jesus: The Lost Years – will portray Christ as a wandering “exorcist” before beginning the public ministry recorded in the Bible. The Lost Years was “conceived in the horror genre,” states the article. This is no surprise considering the names attached to the project: head writer Scott Kosar co-wrote The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Amityville Horror, while director Eli Roth is responsible for the horrifically graphic “torture porn” Hostel film series, in which young women travelling in Europe are kidnapped and tortured by a sadistic killer. Also attached to the project is Eric Newman, who co-produced the graphic horror movie franchise The Last Exorcism with Roth. What can viewers expect from this unholy trinity’s take on the life of Christ? When asked by a fan what he would do if he were a character in his own movie Hostel II, Roth said: “I would probably take a chain saw and split someone open down the middle, just to see what would happen. Or I would want to do something where you could chop someone’s head off to see if they’re still conscious and if their eyes could still look at you…On the days we’re shooting the gore, I’m just extra happy. When we’re doing some really disgusting scene, I’ll catch myself gleefully jumping up and down at the monitor. I’m so happy I could cry.” Roma Downey and Mark Burnett’s mini-series The Bible succeeded brilliantly, because it respected both the source material and the beliefs of Christians. By choosing to turn the sequel to The Bible over to a trio who deliberately deviate from the Bible and instead turn the life of Christ into a freakish, gory horror show, the History Channel has once again demonstrated Hollywood’s utter contempt for Christians – and its hatred of clean, family-friendly entertainment. To contact History Channel General Manager Dirk Hoogstra with your concerns, call (212) 210-1400 ext. 419150.