Kevin Sorbo signs on to play the lead in The Persecuted as rest of cast begins to take shape

June 15, 2011 - PRLog -- Kevin Sorbo is widely known for the unforgettable role of "Hercules" and was most recently seen in the movie "Soul Surfer" as "Holt Blanchard" the man who is credited for saving Bethany Hamilton's life.

Sorbo was approached by two of the film's producers Devin Halden and Andy Salmen of SolCo Entertainment who both hail from Sorbo's home-state of Minnesota. Sorbo was immediately drawn to the project. "I'm really looking forward to playing the part of 'John Luther'...  The mix of drama, action and thrills set in the world of religion is something you just never see in the faith based market." said Sorbo.

The selection of Sorbo as the lead was an easy one for Director/Producer Daniel Lusko. “Kevin Sorbo is a trusted actor in the faith community with the most piercing eyes, and frankly he just fits the character of our ‘John Luther’ down to the bone.” Lusko said.

Stephen Baldwin will play a Judas-like character as "Luther's" best friend "Ryan Morris" in the action-packed film (http://www.thepersecutedmovie.com). The main character, nationally acclaimed evangelist John Luther, is the last obstacle in the way of sweeping religious reform in the States. When a U.S. Senator and Luther's own supporters abduct and frame him in the murder of an innocent teenage girl, an unprecedented era of persecution is unleashed. As evangelist turned fugitive, Luther vows to expose anyone involved with or profiting from the girl's murder; a mission that brings him face-to-face with the coming storm of persecution.

"Daniel Lusko has crafted a very clever script that I just fell in love with on my first read and I had to play this character." explains Sorbo. "The roller coaster ride Luther has to go through to not only fight for his belief in freedom of religion but to also fight for his innocence makes this a very special character for me to explore. This is going to be a great ride!" he adds.

Academy Award Winner Gray Frederickson, whose credits include co-producing the three "Godfather" films and "Apocalypse Now", is the film's executive producer. It's the first faith-based project that Frederickson has worked on. Jennifer Wilde has come on board as co-executive producer. Wilde is the author of "From Life in the Hollywood Fast Lane to the Untouchables of India: Chasing Fame and Finding God".

Producers are aiming for a strong grassroots following cultivated through the relationship developed with religious organizations such as the Calvary Chapel, BGEA, etc. A release date is not set yet but they are gearing up for a late 2012 timeframe. Producers are also in talks with several major distributors to manage the theatrical release.

For more information on THE PERSECUTED visit http://www.ThePersecutedMovie.com or contact Andy Salmen via email at info@thepersecutedmovie.com or asalmen@solcoentertainment.com.

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The Persecuted LLC was formed by Foreshadow Productions, SolCo Entertainment and other members.

Foreshadow Productions is based in Albuquerque, NM and was founded by Daniel Lusko and Christian Ostergaard on the values of faith, truth and inspiration. We are committed to providing a unique experience for our target audiences through groundbreaking motion pictures.

SolCo Entertainment is a motion picture company formed by Devin Halden and Andy Salmen to create quality entertainment that inspires and entertains. SolCo’s strategy is focused on cutting-edge distribution and exhibition techniques for the original programming it produces.