Two sequels to "The Work and the Glory" will be filmed back to back over the next few months, which is as much a result of timing as economics, according to the filmmakers.
"Like a Fire Is Burning" and "Truth Will Prevail" will be filmed between April and June in Tennessee, which also hosted the first production, and that schedule will allow most of the cast from the first film to return.
Referring to the endeavor as "the next adventure," executive producer Larry H. Miller and producer Scott Swofford made the announcement at a news conference on Thursday.
"The Work and the Glory" is a best-selling series of nine novels about the early history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, written by Gerald N. Lund, a member of the church's Second Quorum of Seventy since April 2002.
Both Miller and Swofford said there were some concerns about the profitability of the first film.
According to Exhibitor Relations, which tracks box-office earnings around the country, "The Work and the Glory" has grossed $3.2 million in its theatrical release, far from the break-even point. (With production costs, marketing and promotion, the cost has been estimated by Excel Entertainment, which distributed the first film, as close to $9 million.)
But brisk pre-orders on DVD and VHS versions, due out on May 3, have allayed some of those concerns. "I won't say that I feel confident, but I'm at least comfortable with the level of (the first film's success)," Miller said.
Also, by shooting the films back-to-back, it is hoped they can each be brought in on a smaller budget, though Miller said he expects the total budget for both films to be "in the ballpark" of the cost of the first film.
Miller and Swofford introduced a new director for the films — Sterling Van Wagenen, best known for co-founding the Sundance Film Festival and the Sundance Institute, and for producing the 1985 film "The Trip to Bountiful."
While the producers said they were pleased by the efforts of Russ Holt, who co-wrote and directed the first film, the change in directors will "serve the purposes of the story," along the lines of the change in directors for the "Harry Potter" movies.
The co-writer of the first "Work and the Glory" film was Elder Lund, but he won't be involved in the production of the sequels.
The screenwriter of the second and third films is Matt Whitaker, who also penned "Saints and Soldiers."
Van Wagenen is currently on sabbatical from his post as the head of the University of Central Florida's film department and has directed only one feature film, the 1992 period drama "Alan & Naomi."
He said he is thrilled to be working on an epic piece of LDS filmmaking and to work with what he termed to be the "finest ensemble cast put together" for such a film. (Of the first film's major cast, only Tiffany Dupont will be replaced, as Sera Bastian takes over the role of Lydia McBride.)
Van Wagenen added that he believes he can make a film that is accessible to both LDS and non-LDS audiences, which may help the films become more theatrically successful.
However, Van Wagenen and Swofford noted that there is certain material in the books — violent content — that could lead to the films being rated PG-13.
Swofford said that under no circumstances will they be R-rated, however. He's leaving it to Van Wagenen to sensitively depict this sometimes "dark, tumultuous . . . and violent period" in LDS history.
No distributor is in place at this point (Excel, which is now owned by Deseret Book, released the first film), but Miller and Swofford are already eying possible release dates.
If possible, they'd like to open the second film around the same time period as its predecessor, which premiered the day before Thanksgiving (in 2004). And if post-production goes well, the third film could be released six months later.
E-mail: jeff@desnews.com