Samuel Goldwyn Films announced that it has acquired Roland Joffé’s There Be Dragons, an epic tale of jealousy, love, faith and redemption that spans civil war-torn Spain to the recent past with a deadly, decades-old secret at its core. Wes Bentley (American Beauty) leads a terrific ensemble that includes Charlie Cox (Stardust), Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace), Emmy Award-winning Derek Jacobi (The King’s Speech), Dougray Scott (Mission Impossible) and Rodrigo Santoro (300). The film was produced by Ignacio Gomez-Sancha, Joffé and Ignacio Núñez.
Goldwyn has set a May 6, 2011 release.
There Be Dragons tells the story of London-based investigative journalist Robert Torres (Scott) who tries to unravel a deadly mystery nearly 70 years old that links his father to the founder of a Catholic organization called Opus Dei, only to discover the shocking truth is far more than he bargained for.
According to Meyer Gottlieb, president of Samuel Goldwyn Films: “We feel privileged to be working with such an acclaimed filmmaker in Roland JofFé and look forward to bringing There Be Dragons to audiences everywhere. This beautifully mounted and executed film based on true events is moving and inspirational, and it will make moviegoers cheer and applaud.”
Roland Joffé goes on to say: “There Be Dragons was a wonderful experience that paralleled the one I had making The Mission. It is an intimate story of love and forgiveness set during one of the most bitter wars of the 20th century. Yet the themes of the film are as relevant today as ever, and I am hopeful that audiences will embrace them in that spirit.”
The timely release of the film in 2011 marks the 75th anniversary of the Spanish Civil War. During this brutal conflict, fought in Spain in the late 1930s, thousands of priests and nuns were persecuted and murdered.
The film’s themes are already resonating with people of all faiths who must make daily choices to conquer the dragons they encounter by avoiding conflict in favor of embracing opportunities for forgiveness. There Be Dragons is described as “a deeply moving depiction of the triumph of love and forgiveness” by Catholic Bishop Michael Sheridan, Diocese of Colorado Springs. Lorenzo T. Torres of the men’s group Promise Keepers remarked, “It is very thought-provoking on forgiveness. It shows all sides of having faith.”
The release of the film will be accompanied by a major grass-roots campaign conducted by Motive Entertainment, the company that championed films such as Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ and Disney’s Chronicles of Narnia. Motive Entertainment is releasing a variety of free teaching and preaching materials, as well as staging special premieres for churches and organizations during opening weekend in theaters nationwide.
