Larry Miller finds work, glory in new LDS movie
$7.4M labor of love: The movie's executive producer hopes it will make money
By Sean P. Means
The Salt Lake Tribune
Nov 24, 2004
It's a Saturday night, and the Delta Center is rocking.
The crowd is cheering the Utah Jazz to victory over the Detroit Pistons. Music is pumping, the Jazz dancers are shaking their pompoms and, in the middle of everything, Jazz owner Larry H. Miller is sitting courtside with a couple of actors.
The actors, Sam Hennings and Alexander Carroll, star in the newest product of Miller's business empire, "The Work and the Glory," a Mormon-themed historical drama opening today in Utah movie theaters. While they enjoy the game, the movie's trailer plays on the JumboTron and "The Work and the Glory" T-shirts are given away by remote-controlled blimps floating over the stands.
Miller is the movie's executive producer, having bankrolled its $7.4 million budget - the most ever spent on an LDS-related movie. For Miller, the movie has become not just a business deal but a labor of love.
"I'm way past being objective - it's like talking about your kids," Miller said to an early pre-screening audience. "As time's gone on, all of us associated with the film have been drawn into it emotionally."
When producer Scott Swofford first approached Miller about the project in early 2003, though, Miller was
wary. "The first thing he asked was, 'Is this business or is this charity?' " Swofford recalled. "I said, 'I hope it's business.' "
Since Richard Dutcher's "God's Army" opened up the Mormon Cinema genre in 2000, Miller said many LDS filmmakers have sought him as an investor. "They're like bananas; they come in bunches," Miller said in an interview with The Salt Lake Tribune.
Miller has supported Mormon Cinema in various ways. He provided finishing funds to Dutcher's second movie, "Brigham City," and has committed money to market and distribute Dutcher's "God's Army II" next spring. Work Glory - Miller's Jordan Commons is a popular place to premiere LDS films, and both Miller and Jordan Commons appeared in the comedy "The R.M."
Swofford, better known for making IMAX documentaries, such as "Amazon," produced movies for the LDS Church but stayed out of the Mormon Cinema genre before this. "Some stories should be told when they are ready to be told," Swofford said, adding that he didn't want to attempt "The Work and the Glory" without the money to make the period story look authentic.
The movie adapts Pillar of Light, the first of Gerald N. Lund's nine-book series that sets the fictional Steed family in the events of the LDS Church's early
history. The books have sold more than 2 million copies and have a devoted fan base that includes Miller.
"I got really hooked, and by the time I got done with volume 4 or 5, I said to [my wife] Gail, 'I gotta go meet him,' " said Miller, who now counts Gerald and Lynn Lund among his best friends. Miller said Lund had tried for years to get a movie version made, but most producers would not give Lund editorial control. Eventually Lund formed a company with Swofford and director-screenwriter Russ Holt and asked Miller ("very sheepishly," Miller said) to talk to Swofford.
Miller found the movie business doesn't always work like his other businesses. "My general feeling in anything - I don't care if it's the Jazz or this film or anything else I do - is if we're going to do it, let's do it right," Miller said. "With a film, [the budget] can get away from you so far and so fast that if you just turn somebody loose, even somebody well-meaning and with some discipline, you wind up with double the budget really quick. . . . You kind of do it backwards: Adhere to the budget religiously and hope the product works out OK."
The $7.4 million helped pay for professional actors, like Brenda Strong (from ABC's hit show "Desperate Housewives") as
the Steed matriarch and Jonathan Scarfe (who played Jesus in the ABC movie "Judas") as LDS Church founder Joseph Smith. The money also paid for quality costumes, set design and visual effects - touches most Mormon Cinema entries couldn't afford.
"It allows you to set the details that suspend disbelief," said Jeff Simpson, president of Excel Entertainment, the Salt Lake City company distributing the film.
Swofford said Holt stayed on budget and on schedule. Miller ponied up another $900,000 to market the film, Swofford said, adding, "Excel really did say, 'It's not going to be our fault that not every possible person didn't know about it.' "
Miller, over the objections of Swofford and Simpson, made one of the crucial marketing decisions: Setting the Utah opening date for Thanksgiving weekend. Hollywood studios roll out their big titles on holidays, and independent films usually steer clear of the stampede.
"That made 'em nervous," Miller recalled. "Either it's as good as we think it is or it isn't. . . . If it's going to work, let's find out early. To me, if you walk away from something, whether it's this or something else - and I use this as a benchmark for myself and my people all the time - let's at least
say we gave it our best shot."
"We all said let's take a more moderate approach," Swofford said. "Larry said, 'You want me to be moderately successful, and you're robbing me of the chance to be resoundingly successful.' "
"The Work and the Glory" will open nationwide January 21. Swofford said that in test screenings outside Utah, between 59 percent and 69 percent of the randomly selected audience members gave it "very good" or "excellent" ratings. Such reactions are key to getting the "crossover" audience that has so far eluded Mormon Cinema films.
Attracting non-Mormon audiences may take more people investing as Miller has, said Mitch Davis, who directed the missionary drama "The Other Side of Heaven."
"We need to be prepared to put our money where our mouth is," Davis said, adding that "it's a tremendously magnanimous and bold thing that Larry Miller has done . . . to get the movement on the map."
Davis noted that Mormon Cinema has not yet had a major actor in one of its films ("Princess Diaries" star Anne Hathaway was not yet famous when she appeared in "The Other Side of Heaven"). Mormon films will score with the general public, he said, "when somebody writes a movie and comes up with enough budget to get a major
actor or two."
Miller hopes to make back his $7.4 million, "but if it lost some money, that's not a big deal to me," he said. "I think I can subjectively say there's value in the work itself."
Whether "The Work and the Glory" makes money will determine whether there are any sequels; Miller and Swofford envision five more movies to cover the saga, and a script for the second chapter is in the works. "If it were a big loss [on the first film], knowing there were likely going to be six films in total, plus or minus one, it would be tough to justify that six times," Miller said.
"I think the story deserves being told, and being told properly and right," Miller said. "It's kind of a flyer, just taking a roll of the dice. But I feel OK about it."
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Production of the new Joseph Smith Movie by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints Work Glory
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The Work and the Glory Comes to the Big Screen Work Glory
PRESS RELEASE
Nov 15, 2004
LARGEST BUDGET "INDIE" EVER MADE IN UTAH
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - The all time best-selling LDS fiction series, 'The Work and the Glory', will make its debut November 24th as the largest independent film ever produced in Utah. The film will bring to the big screen Gerald Lund's sweeping epic adventure which has sold over 2 million copies. 'The Work and the Glory' is the film that everyone has been waiting for," enthuses Excel Entertainment Group President, Jeff Simpson. "It is definitely our largest and most anticipated project to date."
Academy Award-nominated Producer Scott Swofford who is best known for his work in IMAX ("Amazon," "Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure," "Mysteries of Egypt") states, "My greatest hope is that people who watch the movie will come away with a compelling, emotional experience." Joining Swofford in this ambitious adaptation of the first in Gerald Lund's blockbuster series is Award-winning Director/Screenwriter Russ Holt. "This film," says Holt, "has intrigue, suspense, romance, betrayal and dramatic action - all elements of good movie-making." Entrepreneurial legend and owner of the Utah Jazz, Larry Miller, is the Executive Producer of the picture and anticipates that its release will be "the biggest independent film of the season."
Added to the filmmakers' expertise and attention to authenticity are the well-honed talents of both seasoned actors as well as up-and-coming fresh faces. The lead role of Lydia McBride is played by Tiffany Dupont [See Queen-Esther-Movie.com] ("Cheaper by the Dozen"), and Alexander Carroll makes his film debut playing the role of Nathan Steed. Other cast members are Hollywood notables such as Jonathan Scarfe ("Judas"), Eric Johnson, ("Smallville"), Sam Hennings ("ER," "CSI," "Star Trek"), and Brenda Strong ("Everwood," "Seinfeld," "Desperate Housewives").
"The Work and the Glory" takes the audience back to a period when America was young and brave and when families pushed the frontier westward in search of better land and new opportunities. In a daring leap of faith, these courageous settlers abandoned familiar homes and relationships in the hopes of building a better life.
Such was the case when the Steed family left their Vermont homestead to start a
farm in upstate New York. They unwittingly settled in a region where a widespread religious revival created deep divisions in the community which threatened to tear the Steed family apart.
"Although the film is based on Gerald Lund's best-seller about the origins of Mormonism, our goal in making this movie is to entertain," explains Jeff Simpson, who formerly served as Studio Executive for Disney Studios in Los Angeles. "This story is about young people trying to merge their lives in spite of divisions and controversy in their families. We think these are universal themes in life and therefore interesting to many people, regardless of faith. In fact, the actors were cast according to their talent and suitability for the role. Religious preferences were not a consideration."
The theatrical premiere will be held at the Megaplex 17 at Jordan Commons in Sandy, Utah on November 18th. The film will open in theaters throughout Utah on Wednesday, November 24th, and will be released nationwide January 21st, 2005. To set up interviews with the film's director, producer, executive producer or cast, please contact Media Relations Representative Ashley Smart at asmart@xelent.com or by calling 801-303-6368. You may also view the trailer at www.workandtheglory.com.
'Work and Glory' a 'dream' job for composer Cardon
By Carma Wadley
Deseret Morning News
Sam Cardon can't think of many ? if any ? projects he'd rather work on than the music score for "The Work and The Glory." "For a guy living here, this is a dream project."
The book, after all, has had a huge following. With more than 2 million copies sold, it is certainly one of the most popular religious historical fiction series ever.
The fact that it reflects his own beliefs contributed to Cardon's joy while working on the project. But so did the overall feel of the film. "They've assembled some great people. It was a thrill when I saw it for the first time. It looks like a major studio film. It just looks good."
And it is a movie, he feels, that has a broad appeal. "There's stuff for guys. There's stuff for girls. There's a lot of substance. And the visuals are unparalleled. It was shot mostly in New England and Tennessee. It's hard to believe there are places that beautiful on Earth."
more...
'Glory' coming to big screen
Filmmaker hopes to take LDS genre to another level
CORRECTION published Oct. 3: Russ Holt is the writer-director and Scott Swofford is the producer of the upcoming film "The Work and the Glory." A story in Thursday's Deseret Morning News misstated their jobs.
By Dennis Lythgoe
Deseret Morning News
Up to now, LDS filmmaking has been taking baby steps, according to screenwriter Russ Holt. But he hopes his big-screen adaptation of Gerald Lund's "The Work and the Glory" will step it up a notch.
Larry Miller, Scott Swofford and Russ Holt are teaming up on film project.
Laura Seitz, Deseret Morning News |
"We feel it is time to go beyond that to another level, because the genre has come of age," Holt said during a news conference Wednesday, where the upcoming film was announced.
With Holt were the film's chief financial backer, Larry Miller; Sheri Dew, president of Deseret Book; and Scott Swofford, who will direct the film.
When pressed for the budget, Miller, who will serve as the film's executive producer, reluctantly announced that it will cost $7.4 million.
"The Work and the Glory: Pillar of Light" will be the first in what is intended to be a film series, with as many as "five or six movies," Miller said. The book series has nine volumes. The first was published in 1990, and more than 2 million copies in the series have been sold by Deseret Book.
The books tell the story of the fictional Steed family in the early 19th century and their involvement with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as they mingle with real-life characters in the midst of dramatic historical events.
Swofford, an experienced documentary filmmaker, and Holt, whose credits are primarily for LDS Church-sponsored movies, have formed Manchester Pictures to produce "The Work and the Glory." Dew pledged marketing and distribution support, including production of the film's soundtrack and the eventual DVD.
Casting calls will begin immediately in New York, Los Angeles and London, where the producers will seek "top-notch talent" for the roles of the Steed family and other characters. Swofford said shooting will begin "immediately," but that "the bulk of the filming will take place in the spring and summer of 2004, with the goal of finishing it in late 2004 or early 2005."
Elder Lund, the books' author and a member of the LDS Church's Quorums of the Seventy, is currently serving the church full time in England. Dew read a message from him that his books have "all the elements of great drama — conflict, courage, betrayal, treachery, love, sacrifice, violence."
He will act as a consultant, and he retains the right to approve the script. Elder Lund also said he is "especially pleased" that Miller is involved.
Miller, the well-known owner of the Utah Jazz and numerous automobile dealerships, said he began reading the first volume of "The Work and the Glory" in 1993 and "became hooked 50 pages into it."
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0%2C1249%2C515035779%2C00.html
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Work Glory : The Work and the Glory, the best-selling series of books
about the early history of the LDS Church and the pioneer migration to Utah,
is hitting the big screen.
Utah entrepreneur Larry H. Miller, left, and movie producer Scott Swofford field questions Wednesday about their project to turn a best-selling The Work and the Glory book series into a motion picture. (Paul Fraughton/The Salt Lake Tribune)
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At $7.4 million, the film will have the biggest budget of any movie in the recent spate of Mormon-themed films, including "God's Army," "Brigham City" and "The Book of Mormon Movie." "The Work and the Glory" film will be entirely financed by auto dealer magnate and Utah Jazz owner Larry H. Miller.
"It's a project whose time has finally come," Miller said at a news conference Wednesday announcing the movie.
The first book of the nine-volume The Work and the Glory series, Pillar of Light, focuses on the Benjamin Steed family in the 1820s as they move to upstate New York -- where they meet Joseph Smith, founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The books, written by Church General Authority Gerald N. Lund, have sold more than 2 million copies in the series. They were ranked "the most important [fictional] books of Mormonism" in a 2001 survey of LDS scholars conducted by Brigham Young University's Department of Church History and Doctrine.
"This is not an ordinary series of books. It's a landmark series of books," said Sheri Dew, chief executive of Deseret Book, which publishes the books and will distribute the film on home video after a theatrical release sometime in late 2004 or early 2005.
The film is being produced by Scott Swofford, a one-time producer for Oscar-winning director Kieth Merrill, who made an LDS-sanctioned film, "Legacy" and has produced IMAX films for National Geographic Society and Disney.
The writer and director of The Work and the Glory is Russ Holt, who has directed more than 30 films for the LDS Church.
Though the script is only two-thirds done, initial second-unit photography begins in about two weeks in Vermont, Holt said. The bulk of the shooting will be done next year. Casting will begin soon in London, New York City and Los Angeles.
Holt describes the story as "multifaceted and multilayered" and an epic look at the beginnings of the church, but he emphasized that the movie will first be a love story.
"It's a 'Gone With the Wind' type of approach," he said. "You'll see the broad scope, but you'll also see the intimate lives of these people."
Miller, who is friends with Lund and called himself a "background confidante" to the author during the writing of the books, has always wanted to turn them into movies and said he expects to make at least the first three films unless the first one bombs. They hope to tell the entire book series with five or six films.
"It's an exciting concept, [but] it's always risky . . . on how it will be received," Miller said.
It's an especially hairy gamble since movies in the recent Mormon cinema trend have failed to reach audiences outside Utah or beyond church members.
The latest, "The Book of Mormon Movie," took in only $282,000 in its first two weeks. Another film based on a popular LDS-themed book, "Charly," amassed only $813,000 its entire run.
The exception is "God's Army," director Richard Dutcher's look at life on an LDS mission, which took in $2.6 million at the box office -- modest by Hollywood standards, but nearly nine times the movie's budget, according to The Numbers.com, which tracks theatrical box office figures.
Despite tepid theatrical revenue, though, these movies tend to make much or most of their money back in video sales. A publicist for Salt Lake City-based HaleStorm Entertainment, which produced "The R.M." and "The Singles Ward," said those films, although they each made more than $1 million in theaters, were especially made to make money on the home-video market.
So far, more than 15 LDS-themed movies have been produced for theaters since the success of "God's Army" in 2000, and a half-dozen or so others are planned for the next year. Two will hit theaters in the next two weeks: the mock-documentary "The Work and the Story" and the courtroom drama "Day of Defense."
Also coming are Dutcher's "God's Army 2" and "The Prophet," about the life of Joseph Smith; the World War II drama "Saints and Soldiers"; and the comedies "The Home Teachers," "The Best Two Years," "Church Ball" and "Eat, Drink and Get Married."
http://www.sltrib.com/2003/Oct/10022003/utah/97894.asp Work Glory
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