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True Blood's Stephen Moyer Joins Priest Film Thriller
posted on by Egan Loo
The Variety entertainment trade magazine reports that True Blood lead actor Stephen Moyer and Phil Collins' daughter Lily Collins have been casted in Screen Gems' live-action film adaptation of Min-Woo Hyung's Priest horror manhwa. Paul Bettany (A Beautiful Mind, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, The Da Vinci Code), Cam Gigandet (Twilight, The O.C.), Maggie Q (Mission: Impossible III, Live Free or Die Hard, King of Fighters), and Karl Urban (Star Trek, The Lord of the Rings, The Bourne Supremacy) are also starring in the film. The project starts filming on Monday.
The manhwa tells the story of an expert in ancient languages who accidentally resurrects an angel from Hell, Temozareal. The man is forced to sell his soul to the Devil in a attempt to correct his mistake. Cory Goodman (The Brood) wrote the movie adaptation's script. According to Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, the film version "is set in a world ravaged by war between man and vampire."
Bettany stars as a priest hunting down vampires who have kidnapped his niece (Collins). Although he plays a vampire in True Blood, Moyer will play the title character's mortal brother in Priest. He also appeared in The Starter Wife. Collins had previously appeared in two episodes of 90210 (the ongoing television sequel to Beverly Hills 90210) and The Blind Side film. Scott Charles Stewart, a co-founder of the Orphanage special effects studio, already agreed to direct the project.
The North American publisher Tokyopop announced in 2001 that it had acquired the original Priest manhwa. Michael De Luca, Stars Road Entertainment's Josh Donen, and Mitchell Peck are producing the live-action film version. Andrew Douglas was originally slated to direct the actors Gerard Butler and Steven Strait in the film, but that version never came together.
Source: Digital Spy
