It’s not every day you see a biblical movie which mixes MMA, heavy metal, and Jesus Christ, but the trailer for The Carpenter offers just that. That’s… certainly unique.
The Carpenter stars Kameron Krebs as “an adopted Viking orphan who becomes a carpenter’s apprentice to Jesus. The orphan, Oren, fights as a side hustle. His experience training as a carpenter with Jesus as his mentor changes his lifestyle.” Krebs serves as an executive producer on the project and also co-wrote the script alongside his father, Kenny Krebs, and director Garrett Batty. Despite the biblical backdrop, The Carpenter will feature a contemporary soundtrack of heavy metal music during the fight sequences, including tracks from Godsmack, Drowning Pool and Motley Crue.
“Almost a decade ago, my dad and I were building a shed when we came up with the idea for the film,” Krebs said in a statement. “We were talking about how much perfection goes into the craft, and we ultimately began discussing what a perfect occupation carpentry was for Jesus. That made us wonder what it would be like to work under his tutelage as an apprentice, and from there, the film was born.“
Director Batty added, “I fell in love with the premise right away, asking the question so many of us have asked. What was Jesus’ life like in the years leading up to His ministry? We spent a lot of time imagining him during those early adult years before his recorded ministry officially began. It became clear that we should depict Jesus as a caring, good-humored, likable and wise older brother. Add in the action, soundtrack and the Krebs family’s inspired vision, and you have a film unlike anything I’ve ever had the joy of working on.“
The production brought on several professional fighters to ensure that all hand combat scenes were portrayed accurately. They include Daz Crawford (Blade II), a former heavyweight boxer once ranked fourth in the UK; Brendon Groenwald (The Widow), a retired Extreme Fighting Championship fighter; Gideon Drotschie, a retired Extreme Fighting Championship fighter; and Matt Esof (Boy Kills World), a taekwondo fourth-dan black belt. They assisted with choreography, stunts, and fight sequences.
The Carpenter will hit theaters on November 1st.