Lorenzo Lamas to star in upcoming biblical epic featuring Armenian saint

PanARMENIAN.Net - Lorenzo Lamas, 1980s heartthrob and star of the hit series “The Renegade,” is set to portray the Apostle Thaddeus in an upcoming biblical epic. The movie will be produced by Walker Cable Productions, and filmed near San Antonio, Texas. The working title of the film is “The Acts of the Apostle Thaddeus.” The movie features the story of the Armenian saint and martyr Princess Sandoukht who according to Armenian historians, was martyred along with Saint Thaddeus the Apostle.

“The Acts of the Apostle Thaddeus” tells the story of the Apostle Thaddeus evangelizing Mesopotamia and founding the Chaldean Catholic Church, Assyrian Church of the East and the Armenian Church. The story is based on the writings of the early church fathers and traditions of Mesopotamian Christians, who are the indigenous people of Mesopotamia. The screenplay is based upon the Biblical account as well as other ancient sources, such as the Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius, written circa 325 A.D., the writings of Armenian Historian Movses Khorenatsi (circa 410-490 A.D.), and ancient Syriac books such as “The Doctrine of Addai” and “The Acts of the Apostle Mari.”

The movie will depict the origins of the Armenian, Chaldean, and Assyrian Churches. Iraqi Christians are currently facing terrible challenges and persecution. They face the threat of genocide in their ancestral homeland by Islamic militants groups, perhaps the most recognizable being ISIS. These terrorist groups are actively trying to destroy the ancient Christian community founded by Thaddeus and Thomas. In the early 20th Century, the Turkish government carried out a massive genocidal campaign against Armenians in which about one million Armenian Christians were killed along with thousands of Assyrian and Greek Orthodox Christians.

Stephen Missick, an ordained minister and military chaplain, is writing and producing the biblical movie that will dramatize the story of one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ.

Recent cinematic history has seen the resurgence of the Biblical Epic. “The Bible: TV Miniseries,” “The Son of God, “as well as “Noah,” have been very successful. In addition, faith-based films such as “God’s Not Dead” and “Heaven is for Real” have proven there is large an underserved market for films in the Biblical genre.

If the current funding goals are attained, we intend to begin shooting around March 15-20, 2015.