Well, hallelujah, brotherJeymes Samuelfor spreading the gospels good news.
Samuels movie has its world premiere Wednesday at theBFI London Film Festival.
TheLegendary Picturesproduction is released throughTristarwith congregations taking their pews from January 12, 2024.
Jeymes Samuel on the set of ‘The Book of Clarence’Morris Puccio
The movies thrilling prologue kicks off with a rip-roaring, wheel-screeching chariot race with Mary Magdalene thrashing the lads.
She was the fastest driver.
She was a getaway driver.
‘Ben-Hur’Everett
And Richard Conte as Barabbas, Samuels cries out gleefully.
And, this is the gospel truth: John Wayne did a cameo as a Roman centurion.
And lets not forget Victor Mature inThe RobeandSamson and Delilah.
Those bible adjacent epics were milk and honey to him.
BothThe Book of ClarenceandThe Harder They Fallupend the idea of the stereotypical white male movie hero.
So wed be watching all of these movies and Ill be marveled by them.
Then a stranger quenches Judah Ben-Hurs thirst and he recovers.
He gave me water once.
Ive always loved those things, he says wistfully.
They kind of take a bit of liberty with the Bible because the story runs alongside it.
Those are the ones I was drawn to most.
A man trying to prove hes a nobody, a man that believes he can do anything.
And his beliefs get him into trouble with the neighborhood terrorists, so to speak.
The hoods are in the building having a party.
Samuel didnt relate to the Charlton Heston, Kirk Douglas, and Victor Mature types.
Which is why LaKeith isnt modeled on those guys, he says.
His favorite actor was Charles Laughton because he looked like a regular guy from around the corner.
Gesturing to both of us, he says What LaKeith is based on is us.
LaKeith is a guy from the hood.
Charlton Heston is anything but regular, and Douglas and Mature are anything but regular.
They look like Hollywood heroes.
Were not allowed to go into the Old West where every fourth cowboy was black.
I feel the same with the biblical movies.
Were not allowed to go into that era for some reason.
The screen artist did not whine about it.
Its all about inclusion, diversity, and freedom.
Freedom to tell the stories that we want to tell.
And I believe that freedom isnt given, its taken.
We have to take it, he pleads softly.
And then we started embracing words like my dream project.
Or its a dream for me to do this.
But no dream is attainable .
You have dreams while you are awake, he argues.
None of these are dreams.
Its not my dream.
It wasnt my dream to become a filmmaker.
It wasnt my dream to sell a biblical.
It was my plans, my aims, my intentions.
Im going to make a Western.
Im going to make a biblical-era movie.
When you get rid of those things, then we are able to make The Harder They Fall.
A $90 million movie is your debut.
Were able to make The Book of Clarence.
Were able to tell stories where we take them from the Old West to the New Testament.
We know she was looked upon with scorn by the villagers…and Jesus washed her of her sins.
So while the overall story is original, theres a lot of historical accuracy in the film.
I knew my Bible growing up as much as the next person.
His mother has never uttered a curse word in his lifetime.
My dad would go, Joyce, your bosoms will fly off if you keep saying that nonsense.
He didnt understand my mom…
When another person would just say, What?
Theres a song in the film featuring Adekunle Gold from Nigeria calledJizu.
And the words go, Jizu, protect my soul, wash my sins, and let me fly.
Thats based on my mom.
Samuel is known in the music world as The Bullitts.
Samuels produces alongside James Lassiter, Tendo Nagenda, and Shawn Jay-Z Carter.
Garrett Grant is the executive producer.
Our good friends at Netflix I know are along for the ride.
So its something that Im sketching out, he says.
The Western had Easter eggs that contained clues aboutThe Book of Clarence.
And its for the audience to find…and watch as much as listen.
Ordinarily, I run away, very fast, from biblical movies, adjacent, or otherwise.
However,The Book of Clarencehas made a believer outta me.
