The War of Kings Saga

Samuel Blessing Saul

Today in our Old Testament lecture, we were given the challenge of presenting 1 Samuel as written on the back of a DVD cover. Here is my group’s blurb for the 1 Samuel movie:

The War of Kings Saga

A long long time ago in a land far far away…

A new king is needed. Samuel sets out to search for the chosen one. Under Samuel’s watch, an unlikely farm boy will rise up and take his place as THE TRUE KING OF ISRAEL.

Peter Jackson’s classic adaptation of this classic tale also stars Ben Barnes as David, Shia LaBeouf as Jonathan and Selma Blair as Abigail.

Often referred to as the Star Wars of the ancient world, The War of Kings Saga Collected Edition brings together all three movies in the saga for the very first time. Featuring the breath-taking landscapes and epic battles that the saga has become known for, this Collected Edition is a must have for any serious fan of cinema.

What do you think? Would you watch that DVD? I found it difficult to break 1 Samuel up into the traditional Hollywood three act structure. And of course Abigail’s character would feature far more prominently in the movie then she did in the text. If she was played by Keira Knightly, you just know she’d be picking up a bow and arrow and fighting in the final battle. We were thinking it over as a bit like Star Wars – you’ve got Samuel playing the Obi Wan character (he even appears as a ghost towards the end!), Saul as you’re Darth Vader and David as your Luke figure.

Who would you cast in your 1 Samuel movie? What other books of the Bible could you turn into a DVD blurb? And not just one of those Time Life DVD’s, but a big block buster movie that people would flock to the cinema to see?