Redeeming Love coming in 2022 feat. Jamie-Lee O'Donnell, Famke Janssen

Over at FilmChat, Peter has news of the release date for Redeeming Love, a sort-of modernised take on the book of Hosea, as it's set in 1850s California. The release, from Universal Pictures, has been delayed due to the pandemic (I made a passing reference to it in my book and it's probably too late now to get that corrected), but is now lined up for 21st January 2022. 

Whilst the film is an adaptation of Hosea, it's come by way of Francine Rivers's 1991 best-selling novel of the same name. The plot, of the novel at least, revolves around Sarah/Angel, a sexually-abused orphan who is forced into becoming a sex-worker who one day meets Michael Hosea who has heard God tell him to marry her. There's a trailer on YouTube now, which reveals fairly little.

While the stars are relatively unknown there are a couple of bigger names attached to the cast. Famke Janssen, who played Jean Grey/Phoenix in several episodes in the X-Men franchise and Liam Neeson's ex-wife in the Taken trilogy, is the biggest star. Janssen also featured in the biblical satire The Ten (2007). Interestingly Cindy Bond, who was a producer for another 2007 Moses-related film, the animated The Ten Commandments, as well as a string of other Christian movies, is also a producer here.

The big news, for UK folk at least, is that it appears that Derry Girls star Jamie-Lee O'Donnell is playing Angel's best friend Lucky. I'm not sure how far Derry Girls has travelled, but O'Donnell is now such a big star in the UK (and presumably the Republic of Ireland) that she's seemingly the main star of the forthcoming Channel 4 drama Screw (still not listed on IMDb). 

Other notable names who are involved include director D.J. Caruso, who directed XXX: Return of Xander Cage (2017), Disturbia (2007) as well as an episode of Smallville way back in 2002; and the IMDb lists The Bible's (2013) Roma Downey as an executive producer, though Peter seems to have reason think she is no longer involved with the project.

Having been largely overlooked by 20th century filmmakers, this is at least the fourth Hosea film to be released this year including 2008's Oversold. Perhaps I'll make some comments on all that another day.

The official website is here.