Gerry in Philly - New Film Project?

http://www.dailyamerican.com/articles/2009/12/13/news/local/news154.txt?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NewsFromWwwdailyamericancom+

Actor Gerard Butler in Central City

Sunday, December 13, 2009 10:21 PM EST
Actor Gerard Butler is shown with the Rev. Sam Childers at the Shekinah Fellowship Church in the Central City area Sunday morning. Butler is supposed to play Childers in a movie about the preacher’s life. (Photo by Sandy Wojcik)

If you google this Sam Childres guy you'll find him a fascinating fellow.
He's a former biker who now works to rescue children in the Sudan.

Didn't Gerry's friend Mark Schenkenberg( who was spotted with him at Fashion Week in Feb). mention that he was working on a thriller with Gerry in Africa? Wonder if this is the film.....

And wasn't Gerry supposedly scouting parts of India for future filming locations? Perhaps parts of India can be used to represent the war- torn Sudan region?

Just wondering if there is a connection.

That's going to be an interesting story.

Cut and pasted comment from JJ:

Just found an interesting interview with Sam Childers and he talks about himself, his work, his book, and the movie from 10/2/09.

Starting at the 21:10 mark he talks about selling the rights to the book, that Mark Forrester is set as the director and a script has been completed by Jason Keller.
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He also states that Preproduction was expected to start within 30 days and they were currently working on casting the lead. They are looking to start shooting after the start of the year.
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It was a very interesting interview with a real character. He talks about having given up drinking but still loving to party and the fun of it (boy, does that sound familiar Gerry?). He is not the most articulate guy but boy is he making a difference. I was impressed with what he has been able to do.
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Here is the link to the interview. Enjoy…
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http://multimedia.play.it/m/audio/26695879/carney-show-10-2-09-8pm-sam-childers.htm
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Read more: http://justjared.buzznet.com/2009/11/27/gerard-butler-groucho-club/comment-page-65/#comments#ixzz0ZjBxXST3

http://www.ourtownonline.biz/articles/2009/12/14/somerset_news/news/local/news237.txt

Minister’s life to become movie


By SANDY WOJCIK
Daily American Correspondent
Tuesday, December 15, 2009 12:50 AM EST


The Rev. Sam Childers (Submitted photo)
Samuel Childers is a minister, a soldier and loves to ride his Harley-Davidson — an unusual combination to say the least.

Now a movie is being made about his life.

Childers lives in Stonycreek Township where his ministry has built a sanctuary, the Shekinah Fellowship Church. But his work doesn’t end in Somerset County. He has written a book called “Another Man’s War: The True Story of One Man’s Battle to Save Children in the Sudan,” published by Thomas Nelson.

Since the book was published, a screenplay has been written about his life. And it will soon be made into a major motion picture. Details are scarce; however, actor Gerard Butler recently visited Childers at his church in Central City. Butler may play the “Machine Gun Preacher” in the movie. Screenwriter Jason Keller wrote the screenplay about Childers, who got his unique moniker from his aggressive style of saving African children from warlords.[/quote]“Keller is one of the best screenwriters in the world,” Childers said. “God didn’t give me just one of the best, but all of the people involved with the movie are in the top 10.”Talent includes Marc Forster, the director who made the latest 007 movie, “Quantum of Solace.” Forster was also recently in Somerset County to learn more about Childers’ life. And there is a lot to learn.

Childers said that his life started out in a typical manner. He had an ordinary childhood with a “good Christian upbringing,” even though his father, an iron worker, had to move the family from state to state whenever he was laid off.

“My father never believed in unemployment,” Childers said. “He felt it was welfare. So our family moved a lot.”

He attended school at Shanksville, moved to Minnesota and ended up in Florida, where he became involved with drinking and drugs.

“I knew at a young age right from wrong, but that didn’t stop me,” he said. “I did not gradate from any high school. I’m a miracle from God. I don’t have a high school diploma, yet I taught in colleges. I recently returned from Australia where I spoke in 27 high schools.”

It was in Florida, the same state where he became a drug addict, that he found God.

“One day I just woke up and knew the drugs were going to kill me,” Childers said.

In 1986 Childers and his wife, Lynn, moved back to Pennsylvania where he started a construction business. They returned to Florida during the down months.

“I worked doing roofing and building and my business took off,” he said. “It was in 1992 I turned my life completely over to God.”

He became a preacher, starting his first church in Clear Spring, Md., in 1995.

“After leaving the church, God called me to be an evangelist, which I did, at first speaking to 20 to 30 people at a time. Now I speak on average to 3,000 to 6,000 people at a time,” he said.

Childers said it was on his first mission trip in 1998 to Sudan, Africa, that he received his true calling: to save children from the Lord’s Resistance Army.

“I saw what happened to a small child who had stepped on a land mine and I knew I had to do something,” he said.

That’s when he began his mission work in Africa, taking money, food and clothing to the refuges. Childers started an orphanage for displaced children along with one of the larger churches in the area.

“I also do personal security there, so that is where I met many stars from Hollywood and worked with programs such as ‘Dateline’ and ‘National Geographic,’” he said.

His ministry work grew and he knew it was time to write a book about his life.

Childers said filmmakers hope to shoot the movie in Somerset County, but that will depend on if money is available from the state.

“They give tax breaks in the state to film here, but they only have so much tax dollars per year. If they don’t shoot here, the actors will be coming back and forth for the next six months to spend time with me to catch the character in order to play the part,” he said. “They should start filming in May.”
The movie is tentatively called “The Machine Gun Preacher.”“This is really going fast. People who live in small towns think things like this do not happen,” Childers said. “I wrote the book in March and one year later look what is happening.”

Childers’ work has not stopped because of the movie deal. He said he has written a second book, which will be published after the movie. He plans to return to his work in Africa the day after Christmas.

http://ramascreen.com/gerard-butler-to-play-sam-childers-marc-forster-to-direct/

Gerard Butler To Play Sam Childers? Marc Forster To Direct?

Posted by Rama On December - 16 - 2009


After Sparta and a string of romantic comedies, plus thrilling guilty pleasure that were Rocknrolla and Law Abiding Citizen, I don’t think we’ve seen Gerard Butler making any effort for an Oscar worthy role. But ohnotheydidn’t heard that Butler might star in a biopic about Sam Childers, a former gang biker who now dedicates his life and resources to rescue children in the war zone of Sudan. He wrote a book titled ANOTHER MAN’S WAR which I think would sound epic as a movie title. Childers gave his life to God in 1992 and went to Sudan, Africa to save children from the violence of LRA. Childers and his wife Lynn founded and operate Angels of East Africa, the Children’s Village Orphanage in Nimule, Sudan, where they currently have more than 300 children in their care…
Not only that, word has it that Marc Forster, the director of Monster’s Ball, The Kite Runner, and Quantum Of Solace might be circling the project and scribe Jason Keller is writing the screenplay. But then again, there’s still no confirmation to all this or about Butler’s involvement, on the other hand, it’s good to anticipate him doing a gig that’s more than just for his looks.
Sam Childer’s life sounds like it deserves a cinematic treatment, he is one of those unlikely noblemen that walk this earth. We could use more inspiring stories like this on the big screen.

Here’s the official synopsis of the book…
The rise of Sam Childers from violent, drug-addicted biker to a man willing to risk everything to rescue the orphans and child soldiers of Sudan

“”All my life, from birth, it’s been a fight. And it always seemed to be “”another man’s war. I always seemed to be fighting for someone else. But it always came back to me. The Word says we’re born into sin, and sin always comes back to war.” -”Sam Childers

Sam Childers has always been a fighter. Born to a violent father and a mother of great faith, his life was a contradiction. With an affinity for drugs and women, the angry young man grew into a drug-dealing biker. But that was then. Nowadays Sam-along with the cadre of Sudanese soldiers he employs-spends his time in the most dangerous parts of Sudan and Uganda rescuing the youngest victims of war, orphans and child-soldiers. His mission is simple: save the children, no matter the cost.

Endorsements:

“Another Man’s War is about true terrorism . . . against more than 200,000 children in northern Uganda and Southern Sudan. Sam Childers-a fighter and a preacher (some call him a mercenary)-tirelessly leads a small militia into the jungle, daring to fight against a vicious army outnumbering him one thousand to one. One man can make a huge difference. Sam Childers certainly does.” — “Peter Fonda, actor/filmmaker, best known as star of “Easy Rider

“The Reverend Sam Childers has been a very close friend to the government of South Sudan for many years and is a trusted friend.” — “President Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan”

“The Reverend Sam Childers is a long time devoted friend to our government and his courageous work is supported by us.” — “President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda”

“Sam Childers is one of those rare men [who is] willing to do literally whatever it takes to promote the message of Jesus Christ and save children from the tyranny of evil men.” — “John Rich, lead singer and songwriter, Big & Rich”