AddThe Shackto the growing list of faith-centric mainstream movies coming out this holiday season and beyond. The Lionsgate drama based on a New York Times bestselling novel byWilliam P. YoungstarsSam Worthingtonas Mack Phillips, a grieving father who meets the Holy Trinity, as one does. There is also a shack involved.
The Shackalso starsOctavia Spencer,Tim McGraw,Sumire Matsubara,Radha Mitchell, andGraham Greene, and is directed byStuart Hazeldine, who has previously been better known for his screenwriting than his directing.The Shackwill be his second feature film, following his directorial debut: the 2009 British psychological thrillerExam.
The trailer, which Lionsgate just dropped, includes an original song from McGraw andFaith Hill, and some beautiful, diverse shots. You’ve got winter, you’ve got summer. You’ve got an Eden-like garden, you’ve got a shack.
I’m addingThe Shackto the list of upcoming movies featuring grieving fathers who form relationships with non-tangible beings played by tangible Oscar winners. So far, there are two items on this list:The Shackand upcoming Will Smith vehicleCollateral Beauty. More broadly in the category of mainstream movies interested in exploring questions of faith, we also have Martin Scorsese’s much-anticipated passion projectSilence, adapted from the 1966 Shūsaku Endō’s novel about two Jesuit priests who go looking for their mentor in 17thcentury Japan.
The Shack, which was adapted for the screen by John Fusco (Marco Polo,Crouching Tiger, Hidden Drago: Sword of Destiny), will hit theaters on March 3.
Here’s the official synopsis forThe Shack:
Based on the New York Times best-selling novel,The Shacktakes us on a father’s uplifting spiritual journey. After suffering a family tragedy, Mack Phillips [Sam Worthington] spirals into a deep depression causing him to question his innermost beliefs. Facing a crisis of faith, he receives a mysterious letter urging him to an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Despite his doubts, Mack journeys to the shack and encounters an enigmatic trio of strangers led by a woman named Papa [Octavia Spencer]. Through this meeting, Mack finds important truths that will transform his understanding of his tragedy and change his life forever.
