Over the years, multitudes of LDS Church members have discussed and daydreamed — often during Sunday School — about how somebody should make the Book of Mormon into a movie.
Legend even has it that "Ten Commandments" filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille wanted to direct it.
Verily, verily, the oft-fantasized film — arguably the most common topic of idle Mormon conversation this side of BYU football — has finally come to pass. Nephi, Lehi, Ishmael and Laban and their epic adventures can be seen on the silver screen next month in a multimillion-dollar motion picture titled "The Book of Mormon Movie, Volume 1: The Journey."
Filmmaker Gary Rogers' vision of First and Second Nephi — the first two books of the Book of Mormon, which is scripture to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (and what a journal review considers one of "20 Books That Changed America") — has been shot on high-definition video, with a musical score composed by Robert C. Bowden, former associate conductor of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
Rogers has also employed a pioneering ticket-proselytizing plan and, in a touch of showmanship that DeMille would have appreciated, will have camels at Jordan Commons for the world premiere on Sept. 12, the day the film begins its Utah run in several theaters. (Idaho movie houses will start playing it the following week.)
That much is certain — and the fact that The Osmonds will not be singing a pop version of the primary song "Book of Mormon Stories" on the soundtrack, a la "Singles Ward."
But for the rest of the world, it's a wait-and-maybe-see situation.
The movie's production company, Mormon Movies, brainstormed a barnstorming way to offer the film to far-reaching audiences while also protecting its relatively low budget from being gobbled up by costly outside distribution: If you buy it, they will come.
Outside of Utah and Idaho, Mormon Movies is pre-selling tickets at $7.50 a pop (for all ages) on its Web site at www.bookofmormonmovie.com. Any area in the world will get a local screening for at least one week if about 1,000 tickets are presold. The staff is banking on a couple of Mormon stereotypes to play out — that the word-of-mouth Relief Society grapevine method works and that people will buy in bulk.
"We hope it works," said Lisa Rogers, director of marketing, who also plays a role as Laban's evil wife. "We've just had such an overwhelming response, and it's like, how do we get this movie out to all the people who want to see it? We'll take it wherever we've got the support."
Cynics might scoff, but a Utah-based film-buyer believes it's worth trying. After all, the movie's primary target audience is 11 million LDS members who are spread far and wide.
"They're just using the Braille method, feeling their way through. Basically, it's just a feeler with some teeth," said David Sharp, whose Film Service Theater Group has booked the movie into the Scera Theater in Orem and several others along the Wasatch Front.
"I've never seen any other studio, independent or major, do exactly this approach in the market place," Sharp said. "These people are selling this film themselves and they have no experience of any kind. This is more reassurance for them than anything. It certainly isn't unreasonable."
Mormon Movies hopes each potential moviegoer will put his money where his mouse is. And the movie's Web site has been swamped, receiving more than 3 million hits last month. And they're not just coming from Utah County, either. E-mails pour in daily from such far-flung regions as Fukuoka, Japan; Lesotho, South Africa; Burgdorf, Switzerland; and El Salvador.
"We've gotten them from everywhere," Rogers said.
You'd think it was the first "Star Wars" movie — or maybe "God's Army, Part Deux" — based on the response from one South American country. "I don't know what's going on in Brazil," Rogers mused. "About every other e-mail comes from Brazil. Sao Paulo is going nuts." There will be prints dubbed into Portuguese and Spanish for international viewers, as well as language options on the DVD when it is released after the theatrical run.
Ideally, director Gary Rogers hopes to produce up to nine volumes of "Book of Mormon Movies" over the next seven years. That, however, depends on how well the first one is received.
"Obviously if this one tanks, there won't be anymore," said Lisa Rogers, who's also the director's daughter. "People have waited their whole lives to see this movie. They can't wait to see it. We hope they enjoy it. We think it's a beautiful film and are proud and excited about it."
This is also a case of the filmmakers saying they hope you actually like the book better than the movie. "We want it to inspire them to actually go back and read the book," she said. "We think it could open a lot of doors."
Preferably theater doors first, of course.
E-MAIL: jody@desnews.com