Russell Crowe plays Noah and a child visits heaven during a near-death experience in two faith-based films opening this spring, Noah and Heaven Is for Real.
An adaptation of the Bible story in the book of Genesis, Noah takes place in a world ravaged by human sin in which Noah (Crowe) is given a divine mission: to build an ark to save creation from the coming flood. Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson, and Sir Anthony Hopkins round out the all-star cast directed by Darin Aronofsky.
Producer Scott Franklin said the movie remains faithful to the story, for the most part.
"Noah is a very short section of the Bible with a lot of gaps, so we definitely had to take some creative expression in it," Franklin told Entertainment Weekly. "But I think we stayed very true to the story and didn't really deviate from the Bible, despite the six-armed angels."
Noah is slated to hit theaters and IMAX on March 28 and is rated PG-13. Visit the movie's website for additional details.
Opening April 16, Heaven Is for Real follows a real-life couple, Todd Burpo (Greg Kinnear) and his wife, Sonja (Kelly Reilly), whose son, Colton, claims to have visited heaven during a near-death experience.
Colton recounts the details of his amazing journey with childlike innocence and speaks matter-of-factly about things that happened before he was even born. Todd and Sonja must then examine the meaning of Colton's experience and decide whether or not to share his story.
Based on the New York Times bestseller by Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent, Heaven Is for Real was directed by Randall Wallace. A novelist and graduate of Duke University's religion program, Wallace previously produced Braveheart and Pearl Harbor.
Heaven Is for Real is rated PG. To learn more, check out the movie's official website.
Are you interested in seeing either movie?