EXCLUSIVE: Ella Anderson (Suncoast) and Juliette Lewis (Opus) are set to star in Jesus Land, a feature adaptation of Julia Scheeres‘ New York Times bestselling memoir from writer-director Saila Kariat (The Valley).
Jesus Land tells the true story of Julia and her adopted Black brother David, who struggle to navigate their tumultuous childhood in a harsh Christian Fundamentalist home amid the bigotry of ’80s rural Indiana. When the teens rebel against their abusive parents Ruth and Hank, they are sent to a reform school in the Dominican Republic called Escuela Caribe, where they are imprisoned in a compassionless world that preaches blind obedience over meaningful religious content. Throughout their ordeals, they dream of a better life in a diverse, free environment.
Will they find freedom? That’s the central question. Jesus Land is about the dangers of religious extremism, authoritarianism, bigotry, and the power of love to overcome these dark forces.
The film’s plot is inspired by both the memoir and real-life accounts from former students of Escuela Caribe, detailing the traumatic experiences they endured there. Anderson plays 16-year-old Julia, with Lewis as her mom, Ruth. The cast also includes Xavier Jones, Bryce Johnson, Nikki Roumel, Kristian Bruun, Kelly Sullivan, Jared Scott, Geogia Waehler, Sarah Brine, Jackson Coppins, Jimmy Ace Lewis, Mark Valeriano, and Emma Naumovska.
Andrea Batista, Saila Kariat, Karen Wilder, Rigele Abilock, Leslie Isackson, and Rick Moore are exec producers on the project, co-produced by Kariat. Adrienne Stern handled casting.
Most recently, Anderson was seen starring opposite Woody Harrelson, Laura Linney, and Nico Parker in Suncoast, Searchlight’s coming-of-age drama from Laura Chinn that launched on Hulu following its world premiere at Sundance 2024. Next, she’ll be seen starring alongside Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson in the musical drama Song Sung Blue, which Focus Features releases on Christmas Day. She’s represented by Gersh, Gilbertson Entertainment, and Yorn, Levine, Barnes.
Lewis is coming off the March release of Opus, A24’s cult thriller from filmmaker Mark Anthony Green, where she stars alongside Ayo Edebiri and John Malkovich. Up next, she’ll be seen starring opposite Mamoudou Athie in Amanda Kramer’s body swap pic By Design, which like Opus, premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. The Oscar nominee is repped by Untitled Entertainment and UTA.
Kariat is coming off of her 2017 debut feature, The Valley, a drama following an immigrant entrepreneur in search of answers following her daughter’s suicide. She is repped by Jackie Ward at Ramo Law.
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