Jesus, the most watched film in history, has been remastered in high definition with a complete new musical score in Dolby 5.1 surround sound. Released 35 years ago, the film has been viewed billions of times.
Retitled The Jesus Film, the classic account of Jesus’ life will have select theatrical showings around the nation beginning in March. Additionally, partnering with Cinedigm and Mission Home Video, the high-definition film will be available in Blu-ray, DVD and digital formats in retail and online April 1.
The Jesus Film depicts Christ’s birth, ministry, death and resurrection as told in the Gospel of Luke. Virtually every word Jesus speaks in the film is quoted from Scripture, with 450 leaders and scholars having reviewed the script for biblical accuracy. Historical accuracy also was ensured using clothing, pottery and other props made with first-century methods to portray a 2,000-year-old Palestinian culture.
“When the original Jesus film was released 35 years ago, it was ahead of its time,” said Erick Schenkel, executive director of The Jesus Film Project, a ministry of Cru. “Yet, while the film has introduced billions of individuals around the world to the person of Jesus, few in the U.S. have ever seen it. We believe this new remastered version will give audiences an accurate picture of who Jesus is and why individuals around the world have chosen to follow Him, shown with production values they have come to expect.”
The Jesus Film has been officially recognized by The Guinness Book of World Records as the most translated film in history, and is now is available in 1,197 languages. In addition, more than 200 million individuals worldwide have indicated a decision to follow Jesus after viewing the film. The story of the film’s impact will be shown through an exclusive short feature narrated by actor Ernie Hudson and available on the remastered Blu-ray and DVD. Each disc will include The Jesus Film in eight languages—English, Spanish, Mandarin, French, Vietnamese, German, Korean and Arabic.
During the film’s restoration, each of its 173,000 frames were retouched and recolored, and new sound effects were added.
The Jesus Film Project has joined Cinedigm and Mission Home Video with Tugg to offer a minimum of 35 weekly theatrical viewings in honor of the anniversary. For the cost of a ticket, any individual can choose to host a one-time showing in his or her local theater.
