Rooney Mara steps into Biblical times in the first trailer for “Mary Magdalene.” The film promises to tell “the untold story” behind one of Jesus’ most famous followers. We’re told the title character has brought shame on her family, but she insists that if there’s a demon in her, “it’s always been them.” She finds a friend in Jesus (Joaquin Phoenix), who believes that she “will do God’s will.”
According to the drama’s official synopsis, Mary leaves her home behind “to join a radical new social movement” led by Jesus, “who promises that the world is changing. Mary is searching for a new way of living, and an authenticity that is denied her by the rigid hierarchies of the day.”
“Are [women] so different from men you must teach us different things?” Mary asks in the spot. Paul the Apostle (Chiwetel Ejiofor) doesn’t appreciate her candor. “It’s not right that [Jesus] has raised you up to lead us,” he says.
Despite disapproval from Paul, Mary pledges to be with Jesus “till the end,” and she is shown witnessing his crucifixion.
Mara received Oscar nods for her roles in “Carol” and “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.”
Directed by Garth Davis (“Lion,” “Top of the Lake”), “Mary Magdalene” hits theaters March 30, 2018. Helen Edmundson (“An Inspector Calls”) and Philippa Goslett (“How to Talk to Girls at Parties”) penned the script.
