Prequel to 'The Pilgrim's Progress,' Written by John Bunyan in 1678, to Become Faith-Based Film

Jul 12, 2017 12:16 PM EDT

Heavenquest: A Pilgrim's Progress, a highly-anticipated, groundbreaking new faith-based fantasy adventure film, has officially started production in Los Angeles and Redding, California. The film, inspired by John Bunyan's iconic 1678 novelThe Pilgrim's Progress, which is second only to the Bible itself in global Christianity, brings together a powerful cast of well-known U.S. faith-based actors, and international film and television stars, including South Korean legend Cha In Pyo. As the best selling fictional author of all time, John Bunyan and his masterpiece The Pilgrim's Progress is known in virtually every corner of the globe. 

"With this film, we're trying to break new ground in the faith-based genre. It's dirt-under-the-fingernails, action-packed, grittier, more stylistic, and more cinematic than what audiences have seen previously. Our cast is diverse, representing faith around the globe. We think this unique combination is the 'next step' faithful moviegoers have been looking for, said Director Matt Bilen. "We've wanted to make Heavenquest for so many years, I can't tell you what a thrill it is to be on set making this incredible epic brought to life.

"The Heavenquest team has long believed that while the success of faith based and faith inspired stories in the U.S. is exciting, this powerful genre can and should have a life far beyond just the U.S. market.  The international market for faith based films is relatively untapped and full of potential.  As we have traveled the world, especially Asia, we have seen the strong demand for such content amongst Christians abroad, and we believe the next generation faith films should be designed to engage all of those audiences worldwide," said Dan Mark, Producer and Principal of King Street Pictures. "We believe our modern, edgy retelling of this classic story with a diverse international cast is going to pioneer new markets for faith based content abroad and will capture the imagination of audiences worldwide, especially in Asia.  So we are incredibly honored and blessed to have the esteemed In Pyo Cha in our cast and as our Executive Producer.  We couldn't have asked for a better creative partner to see this vision come to life on screen."   

Pilgrim's Progress has been translated in 200 languages in last 3 centuries, making it the second most read faith book after the Bible. 

Film Synopsis: King Street Pictures proudly presents an epic new fantasy adventure film inspired by the world of John Bunyan's classic tale "The Pilgrim's Progress."  In a war between the Northern and Southern Kingdoms of Eos, a regal man named Vangel is thrust on a journey against his will when he is suddenly and mysteriously arrested.  Brought before the Southern King and sentenced to death, Vangel escapes a chain gang and flees for the North. Armed with a book called the Record of the Ancients that he receives from a wise sage, Vangel embarks on an adventure that takes him through haunted forests, dark swamps, and enchanted mountains while being hunted all the while by the Southern King's men in hot pursuit.  Along the way, mysterious travel companions with special giftings arise and assist him on the journey, sharing about a fabled good king and pushing him onwards towards the Wicket Gate, the gateway to the North, while enemies lurk at every corner trying to derail him from his path.