You may remember Reza Aslan as the dude who got into an epic onscreen debate with Fox News' Lauren Green when she didn't understand that a Persian dude could be, GASP, of Muslim faith and also a scholar of Christianity and other religions. (If you haven't seen that interview, you should definitely watch it now.) He is also, however, the author ofZealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, a controversial biography of Jesus—and, now, future Lionsgate film. According to Buzzfeed, Lionsgate has picked up the rights to Zealot, and plans to adapt it into a feature length film.
"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Lionsgate," Aslan commented in a statement. "Their vision for Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth is aligned with my objective in writing the book, which was to illuminate the life of Jesus in a humanistic, as opposed to religious, context."
Per the book's description, Zealot is a "biography that challenges long-held assumptions about the man we know as Jesus of Nazareth" and examines him "through the lens of the tumultuous era in which he lived"—so you can pretty much bet that the film is going to be just as controversial as the book is. The book, however, has actually (sadly) received more criticism because of Aslan's Persian heritage and Muslim religious beliefs than its content: Despite the fact that Aslan studied different religions extensively and is a scholar of religions with four degrees, it was still the focal point of that ridiculous Fox News interview and much of the criticism that followed.
No word yet on when the film will go into production.
[via Buzzfeed]
