The Cauldron

Issue date: 11/16/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment

The man behind such epics as the "Lord of the Rings" Trilogy, "The Matrix," and the 1988 comedy-horror, "Child's' Play," is set to produce a film, which is sure to keep Hollywood, and the rest of the world buzzing until its supposed release.

Barrie Osborne has partnered with Qatar media company, Al Noor Holdings, to tell the story of the prophet Mohammed.

Now, off the bat, what makes this such a landmark announcement is that while depiction of Mohammed is technically not forbidden by the Qur'an, it is severely frowned upon. The key concern that idol worship will overshadow what Mohammed represents.

Depiction of Mohammed is generally accepted in books and decoration, but strict Muslims have been said to denounce any and all depictions, especially those created by non-Muslims.

As of this writing, the plan is not to show the prophet within the movie, and use English speaking Muslim actors. However, knowing how unpredictable Hollywood can be, there does remain that slight possibility that blasphemy could be upon us.

According to Al Noor's chairman, Ahmed Abdullah Al-Mustafa, in a statement released in late October, "The film will shed light on the Prophet's life since before his birth to his death. It will highlight the humanity of Prophet Mohammad."

The last time a movie was made about the prophet was the 1976 movie, "The Message," which was told through the eyes of Mohammed's uncle, and the film featured neither the image nor the voice of the prophet. However, it was still enough to incur the wrath of protests, a filming location change to Libya due to threats, and a massive siege in Washington D.C.

A group of 12 gunmen captured 151 hostages within three buildings in Washington D.C. The groups' demand was that the 'sacrilegious', "The Message," be destroyed and never shown. The takeover of the buildings lasted for about two days and led to the deaths of a radio reporter, Maurice Williams, and Officer Mike Cantrell.

Will this movie meet a similar fate, with similar hostility?

The question that remains is whether this movie will "build bridges," as Osborne claims, or will cause an even bigger gap amongst religions, beliefs and countries? Perhaps, if the movie is done right with the right actors, the right story and gone about very sensitively, Osborne, may be able to justify the $150 million in production costs.

Muslim scholar, Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, has been hired to oversee the production as well. The production company and Osborne, seem to have the right idea. Time will tell if the actual fruition of the movie will be successful, and whether the only fireworks will be at the premiere.

Filming is scheduled to begin in 2011.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools