Michael Cera and Gus Van Sant are about to go biblical on us.
Cera and Van Sant are two of a number of filmmakers who have committed to directing episodes of the 10-part scripted series “Ten Commandments,” which WGN America has ordered from The Weinstein Company.
Lee Daniels, Jim Sheridan and Wes Craven have also signed on to direct episodes of the series, which is being produced by Bruce Cohen (“American Beauty”) and Bob Weinstein.
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Each episode will take on a different commandment, with 10 directors choosing their own creative teams bringing their own modern interpretation to the commandments.
“We are thrilled and honored to have filmmakers of this caliber as a part of this ambitious project, and thank Bruce Cohen and The Weinstein Company for bringing this diverse group of directors together,” said WGN America and Tribune Studios president and general manager Matt Cherniss. “The unique structure of the ‘Ten Commandments’ project and the stature of directors involved reflects the creative and bold approach to quality programming that we aspire to as we move towards making WGN America a destination network. We look forward to seeing what each of these talented filmmakers has in store for the audience.”
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“Each of these directors is acclaimed for their own unique brand of style and genre, so it’s clear that we can expect ten wildly different episodes from this series,” added TWC co-chairman Bob Weinstein.
“The opportunity to express my own creative vision of a Commandment is an exciting challenge I was immediately drawn to,” said Daniels. “I’m excited to be working with Bruce Cohen and the Weinstein Company again!”
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Horror-film maestro Craven said that he’s “extremely excited” to take part in the series, adding, “that the project “absolutely fascinates me.”
“The chance to put my own personal spin in a contemporary manner on these ancient commands is priceless, as is the chance to work alongside so many other directors whose work has inspired me over the years,” Craven said.
“I have great respect for most of the Ten Commandments, and I look forward to keeping within the rules as best I can,” Sheridan (“In the Name of the Father”) quipped.
WGN America is currently preparing to launch its first scripted series, “Salem,” about the infamous witch trials, starring Shane West.
