If you were to poll 10 people what they thought God might sound like, chances are a good number of them would probably let out a little chuckle as they answered “Morgan Freeman!” So it comes as no surprise that the actor and voiceover man will be host and producer of a new series called The Story of God, reports Deadline.
Through a partnership between National Geographic Channel and Revelations Entertainment, The Story of God will look at questions around creation and religion, touching on a number of polarizing topics, like miracles and resurrection.
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To say Freeman is the perfect person to spearhead this project is an understatement. While he may not be overtly religious himself, his low, comforting voice has often been considered what many believe God must sound like. So much so, in fact, that this was parodied by Freeman playing the character of God in the comedy films Bruce Almighty and Evan Almighty.
Freeman has touched on the subject of religion before, notably in an interview with Vulture last month, when he addressed the question of what God might look like. “God looks like me,” he said. “My idea of God is a bit more terrestrial. I am God. So it’s easy to play him. They say God is in all things. So if God is in me, then I am in God. Therefore, I am God.”
Through the show, Freeman will visit religious sites like the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, the Bodhi Tree in India, Mayan temples, and the Lakewood megachurch in Texas. Traveling with archeologists, he’ll examine ruins and artifacts to help tell the story of God, while also looking at areas of study like neuroscience and cosmology and how they play into religion.
Courteney Monroe, CEO of National Geographic Channels, calls the show an “epic and very personal journey to understand mankind’s religious devotion. Blending science, history, anthropology and personal experience, we’re harnessing the power of the National Geographic brand and our unparalleled global reach to tell a meaningful and awe-inspiring story of religion and spirituality, across disciplines and faiths.”
“With Morgan as our storyteller,” adds Executive Producer Lori McCreary, Revelations Entertainment, “we’re going to produce a visually stunning and thought-provoking series that will spur meaningful conversations about God and faith, by believers and nonbelievers alike.”
The show will debut on National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo Mundo some time next year in 171 countries and 45 languages.
