Former president of Paramount Pictures in SA for local director's new movie

Regardt plans to start directing the film at the beginning of next year to be released to a worldwide audience in Hollywood in 2005.

As President of Paramount Pictures, Frank oversaw the production of timeless epics such as The Godfather I & II, Love Story, Chinatown, Paper Moon and The Great Gatsby. He has been a mainstay in the motion picture arena since 1956 and his resume includes virtually every aspect of filmmaking.

Frank would also like to give the South African film industry a boost, by finding South African productions to distribute via Promenade Pictures, his film company in Hollywood.

The Lamb is a biblical epic - in the tradition of Ben Hur and Brave Heart - which tells a captivating story of Matthias and his son Joel, who go on a journey in an effort to understand faith. The Lamb will be a full-length motion picture to be shot on location in Israel, Tunisia and South Africa.

Regardt plans to draw from among the best local and international talent in the movie industry - screenwriters, actors, cinematographers directors, producers, musicians, distributors and marketers.

Initially, Frank didn't want to get involved with The Lamb, but after listening to Regardt's presentation tape, he decided that he had to be part of it, stating that this was the film by which he wanted to be remembered.

To quote Frank, a self-declared non-Christian, talking about Regardt and The Lamb: "I had no interest in the project," he said, "However, I agreed to watch Regardt's presentation video...and I was mesmerised. The passion of this man. The value of the story. Everything he said was extraordinary. I took the video out, and I put it back in. I was a little taken aback by it because this kind of passion is exceptional. I saw it again and said to myself, 'I've got to be involved in this.'"