Exclusive: Ella Anderson (Suncoast) and Juliette Lewis (Opus) are set to star in Jesus Land, a feature adaptation of Julia Scheeres’ New York Times bestselling memoir from writer-director Saila Kariat (The Valley).
The drama tells the true story of Julia and her adopted Black brother David, who struggle to navigate their tumultuous childhood in a harsh Christian Fundamentalist home amid the bigotry of ’80s rural Indiana. When the teens rebel against their abusive parents Ruth and Hank, they are sent to a reform school in the Dominican Republic called Escuela Caribe, where they are imprisoned in a compassionless world that preaches blind obedience over meaningful religious content. Throughout their ordeals, they dream of a better life in a diverse, free environment.
Will they find freedom? That’s the central question. Jesus Land is about the dangers of religious extremism, authoritarianism, bigotry, and the power of love to overcome these dark forces.
The drama tells the true story of Julia and her adopted Black brother David, who struggle to navigate their tumultuous childhood in a harsh Christian Fundamentalist home amid the bigotry of ’80s rural Indiana. When the teens rebel against their abusive parents Ruth and Hank, they are sent to a reform school in the Dominican Republic called Escuela Caribe, where they are imprisoned in a compassionless world that preaches blind obedience over meaningful religious content. Throughout their ordeals, they dream of a better life in a diverse, free environment.
Will they find freedom? That’s the central question. Jesus Land is about the dangers of religious extremism, authoritarianism, bigotry, and the power of love to overcome these dark forces.
- 5/19/2025
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
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