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Shot in 3D with striking visual effects, 20th Century Fox's
"Exodus" is the latest biblical-theme film to be released in
2014, dubbed the "year of the Bible."
It follows the success of Paramount Pictures' "Noah," which
grossed more than $360 million worldwide, and 20th Century Fox's
"Son of God," which took in $68 million worldwide.
Scott's big-budget epic, which opens in U.S. theaters on Friday,
is projected by BoxOffice.com to earn $32 million in its opening
weekend.
Oscar-winning actor Christian Bale plays Moses, a former
Egyptian prince who rose up against the Pharaoh Ramses and
initially was unsure about his role as a prophet.
"When he first meets with God, he says 'No. This is not me. I
don't want to do this job,'" Bale told Reuters.
The 40-year-old actor is renowned for his physical
transformation in a variety of roles - from the emaciated
insomniac in "The Machinist," a sinewy former boxer in "The
Fighter," which won him an Oscar, to a pudgy con man with a
comb-over in "American Hustle."
As Moses, Bale delves into the emotional core of the man who led
600,000 slaves out of Egypt.
"He was a man of great passion, a great leader and a liberator,
but he was somebody who also had incredible doubts and
insecurities," Bale explained. "I think that makes it so much
more fascinating than I had ever realized. And also, in doing
that, we are telling it in a new way."
Scott, 77, who has scored best director Oscar nominations for
"Gladiator," "Black Hawk Down" and "Thelma & Louise," shot
"Exodus" in Spain, the Canary Islands and Pinewood Studios in
England in 74 days, a tight schedule Bale said he found
exhilarating.
"For me it feels like I'm most productive, most creative when
there is a momentum to the way you shoot. Otherwise, you get
lethargic," Bale said. "And he (Scott) can do that in a way that
is more akin to the soul of an independent film, even though
this is a vast, big studio film."
Trade magazine Variety praised "Exodus" as "a genuinely imposing
spectacle," while The Hollywood Reporter found faults with the
beginning and end, while describing the middle as "a rousing
good show."
(Editing by Piya Sinha-Roy and Gunna Dickson)
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Epic
'Exodus' casts Christian Bale's Moses as reluctant leader
