By Braden Kay / Staff Writer
A Holy War (Sony Pictures )
By Braden Kay / Staff Writer
In modern society priests are many things, however, warriors are not one of them. In the upcoming film “Priest” this is a concept that is explored.
“Priest” is the latest movie from Scott Charles Stewart, the director of “Legion.”
Stewart is a long time special effects guru who has recently turned his attention towards directing. Movies Stewart has done special effects for include “Sin City,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End,” and “Blade Runner.” This should guarantee solid special effects in “Priest.”
This is a good thing as “Priest” does not appear to be a plot driven film. It looks as if it will place an emphasis on special effects and action sequences.
“Priest” is set in a post apocalyptic future where vampires have waged war against humans. The protagonist of the film is also named Priest and is played by Paul Bettany. He is a warrior who is a hero from the previous vampire war. Since the war, Priest has led a simple life among the peasants of a city that is ruled by the church.
Priest learns that a gang of vampires have murdered his brother and kidnapped his niece (Lily Collins).
The leader of the vampires, Black Hat is played by Karl Urban. Learning of this Priest breaks his vows and sets out to find and free his niece. Joining him on his journey are a sheriff who was his niece’s boyfriend (Cam Gigandet) and a priestess warrior (Maggie Q). If they cannot find her in time, Priest’s niece will be turned into a vampire.
The cast seems to be very solid. Bettany should be familiar with Stewart after working with him on “Legion.” Maggie Q is also an action veteran starring in such films as “Live Free or Die Hard,” and most recently the television series “Nikita.” Urban is also no stranger to action movies, appearing in the “Lord of the Rings” films.
Being a young director, Stewart really needs to prove his worth. His first movie “Legion” was very mediocre. It performed well at the box office pulling in slightly more than $40 million. Its gross was significantly higher than its $26 million budget. So even if “Priest” is not a good film and receives poor reviews, Stewart will most likely still find a studio to produce his movies, as they make money.
The most concerning thing about “Priest” is that it appears to be very similar to “Legion.” Both feature a religious warrior of sorts trying to save a female character. This even goes as far as having the same actor playing the main character in each film. While the similarities could just be Stewart’s directing style, the plot similarities are still apparent. Hopefully, Stewart will not typecast himself by creating movies that are too similar.
“Priest” hits theaters May 13. Its release will help usher in summer blockbuster season.
