Stoney Lake Entertainment announced that Left Behind, starring Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage as Rayford Steele, as well as Chad Michael Murray, Cassi Thomson, Nicky Whelan, Lea Thompson and Jordin Sparks, will be released in theaters on October 3. The movie is directed by veteran filmmaker Vic Armstrong.
Left Behind follows Rayford Steele (Nicolas Cage) who is piloting a commercial airliner just hours after the Rapture when millions of people around the globe simply vanish. Thirty thousand feet over the Atlantic, Rayford is faced with a damaged plane, terrified passengers, and a desperate desire to get back to his family. On the ground, his daughter, Chloe Steele (Cassi Thomson) is among those left behind, forced to navigate a world of madness as she searches for her lost mother and brother.
Shot mostly in and around Baton Rouge, LA., Left Behind was produced by Paul Lalonde and Michael Walker and co-written by Paul Lalonde and John Patus.
“We’re seeing a number of big, biblical movies on the calendar this year, particularly ‘Son of God,’ ‘Noah,’ and ‘Exodus.’ What makes ‘Left Behind’ different is that it is a contemporary story that could actually happen at any moment,” says Paul Lalonde, Left Behind producer and CEO of Stoney Lake Entertainment. “It’s also a historical account in a sense, because it’s based on a true story, it just hasn’t happened yet. So it’s very important to us that the core story not be changed. We had offers from three of the major studios in Hollywood to distribute this movie, but none would allow final control of the story to be left in our hands.”
“My greatest hope for this movie is that people will be entertained and thrilled by it, but also that they’ll go home and have conversations with their family, and ask ‘do you think this could happen, or couldn’t happen?’ and it’ll inspire discussion and closeness,” added Nicolas Cage.
The movie is based on the New York Times bestselling book series of the same name, co-authored by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye. Based on the Bible and published in 32 different languages, the series has sold more than 65 million copies and is one of the best-selling fiction series of all time.
“I believe it does justice to the novel and will renew interest in the entire series,” author Jerry Jenkins said. “It is the best movie I have ever seen on the rapture,” added Tim LaHaye.
