Joaquin Phoenix Circling Jesus Christ Role In Mary Magdalene Biopic

Joaquin Phoenix is in final negotiations to board The Weinstein Company’s Mary Magdalene biopic as Jesus Christ. Directed by Garth Davis, the religious feature has already tapped Rooney Mara as the titular Christian figure, and while the addition of Phoenix would certainly be a major casting coup for the studio’s awards-friendly picture, the deal is still a ways away from being finalized due to the actor’s schedule.

Portrayed by Monica Bellucci for Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ and, before that, Barbara Hershey in The Last Temptation Of Christ, Mary of Magdala became a deeply controversial figure throughout the Middle Ages, when it was suggested the devout follower of Christ was a unforgivable prostitute. Neither of the four gospels mention any such fact; instead, we know that Magdalene was supposedly one of the fortunate few to witness both the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Gunning for an authentic and humanistic portrayal of Mary Magdalene, expect The Weinstein Company’s biblical drama to ease into production some point later in the year ahead of a theatrical release in 2017.