Anthony Hopkins Portrays King Herod in Upcoming Biblical Thriller ‘Mary’; Joel Osteen Joins Marketing Campaign

A biblical thriller, “Mary,” tells the harrowing story of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus fleeing for their lives from King Herod. Anthony Hopkins (“Freud’s Last Session,” “The Father”) portrays King Herod in a “murderous pursuit of the newborn child.”

“At this time of my life, I’m drawn to the challenge of complex scripts,” Hopkins told Deadline. “As well, the level of the detail given to this production with extraordinary sets, props and costumes—makes me proud to be a part of this.”

Anthony Hopkins Plays King Herod in the Upcoming Film ‘Mary’

The movie “Mary” follows a young girl, Mary, who is shunned for having a child out of wedlock. After her son, Jesus, is born, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus flee to Egypt to escape threats from King Herod.

In the biblical account found in Matthew 2:13-23, God warned Joseph in a dream to take his family to Egypt because King Herod intended to kill Jesus. King Herod was outwitted and in his rage ordered the deaths of every male child under two years of age in Bethlehem and the surrounding area.

Timothy Michael Hayes wrote the screenplay for “Mary.” In efforts to understand and adhere to the original biblical account, Hayes consulted “priests, bishops, Baptist pastors, rabbis, Mormons, and Muslims along with biblical scholars and theologians,” reported Deadline.

Filming has just wrapped up in Morocco, and there is no projected release date as of yet. “Mary” was directed by D.J. Caruso (“xXx: Return of Xander Cage,” “Eagle Eye”) and produced by Mary Aloe of Aloe Entertainment and Hannah Leader, among other financial investors.

Director Caruso commented:

I want to give the world a portrayal of the real human Mary. Her story has a lesser-known beginning; it is profoundly worthy of being told. Portraying her from birth through childhood and presenting her as a human being with apprehensions and fears will be a celebration of everything inspiring and gut-wrenching about her journey.

Hopkins’ portrayal of King Herod comes shortly after he played Sigmund Freud in “Freud’s Last Session,” a movie depicting a fictional conversation between Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud and Irish biblical scholar C.S. Lewis. In the film, the two contemplate and discuss God and mortality.

Young Mary is played by Noa Cohen, a new actor from Israel. She grew up about an hour from where Mary, the mother of Jesus, was born.