After a quiet 2009 which only saw him in a segment of the anthology film “New York I Love You,” Hayden Christensen is set to put screens alight in stuntman-turned-director David R Ellis’ (“Snakes on a Plane,” “The Final Destination”) “The Genesis Code.”
The story details ex-national security operative (Christensen) discovering that a shady religious sect called The Shadow of the Cross may have had some involvement in the death of his sister and her son. Teaming up with his sister’s friend, and presumed love interest, he finds out details of a secret experiment, the results of which are so devastating to the Church they will stop at nothing to keep it hidden. For some reason this experiment is being conducted at a clinic in the mountains of Italy.
Wow. Colour us enthused: acting powerhouse Christensen teaming up with auteur Ellis for a sub-“Da Vinci Code” religious mystery? We’re so there! Especially if, because he’s playing a smart guy, Christensen sports a pair of glasses — a sacrifice he may be willing to make because of his “passion for the character” as producer Kirk D’Amico says:
“We are very pleased to have Hayden on board for this project. His passion for the character of Joe Lassiter and the world he inhabits – of religion, politics and secret operatives – was apparent to all of us involved in the project. It is this kind of commitment that we know will lead to a compelling performance.”
Christensen fans next have the chance to see him in John Luessenhop’s continually delayed “Takers” with Matt Dillon and Zoe Saldana (also starring Paul Walker who will no doubt give our Hayden a run for his actin’ money) and then in somewhat-interesting-director Brad Anderson’s (“Transsiberian,” “The Machinist”) “Vanishing on 7th Street” also starring Thandie Newton and John Leguizamo. “The Genesis Code” is due for a 2011 release, and shouldn’t be confused with 2010’s “The Genesis Code” which, according to IMDB, is about students engaged in a science vs spirituality moral debate. Actually, scratch that — get the two confused and do yourself a favour: the other one has Louise Fletcher, Ernest Borgnine and a hope in hell of not being completely idiotic.
