Seasoned producer behind the box-office hits “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and “The Matrix” Barrie Osbourne has signed up to produce a nine-figure biopic of the founder of Islam, Prophet Muhammad. Backed with a $150 million budget funded by Al Noor Holdings, an entertainment company in Qatar, the English-language movie will not feature physically the title character. As dictated by Islam’s laws, figurative depictions of Muhammad and immediate members of his family are prohibited which serves as the biggest hurdle the crew has to face.
The yet-to-be-titled film will star English-speaking Muslim actors and Muslim scholar Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi was also taken aboard to watch over proceeds of the shoot. Al Noor’s chairman, Ahmed Abdullah Al-Mustafa tells Al-Jazeera, “The film will shed light on the Prophet’s life since before his birth to his death. It will highlight the humanity of Prophet Muhammad.”
However the last time a film with a similar concept, the 1976 movie “The Message”, was under production, it was met by a bout of protests, threats, and a mass hostage-taking event. The film directed by Muslim Moustapha Akkad, focused on Muhammad’s uncle as he told the prophet’s story from his perspective. The prophet was neither heard nor seen at all. However during filming, it was met by international protests forcing the filming location be transferred to Libya.
During the film’s scheduled U.S. premiere, an American Black Muslim extremist group held 150 people as hostages at Washington, D.C.’s District Building, B’nai B’rith chapter, and Islamic Center. After 39 hours, it had ended, yet a radio reporter and security guard were killed while Councilman Marion Barry was shot. With all the chaos attached to the film, it was quickly cut off from the big screen.
Despite the tragic history, Osbourne hopes that his film which he calls an “international epic production aimed at bridging cultures”, would garner an opposite effect. He plans to begin filming by 2011.
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