The early 2000s adaptations of Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye’s novel series Left Behind could only muster religious zealot (and former Growing Pains star) Kirk Cameron as its lead, but a planned new version already has Nic Cage and Chad Michael Murray, and now Deadline reports that High School Musical’s Ashley Tisdale is in talks to join them.
The story follows a group trying to survive in the aftermath of the Rapture, which has seen all the true Christians being spirited up to heaven, leaving everyone else behind to deal with the end of days. Cage is set to play Ray Steele, a neglectful dad and pilot who finds God too late and so forms the Tribulation Force to cope with the coming carnage. Tisdale will play his daughter Chloe, who has also been left behind and is a founding member of the Force.
Paul Lalonde, who wrote the original Left Behind in 2001, and John Patus, who wrote the last installment of the earlier film series, Left Behind: World at War, are writing the screenplay. There’s no news on whether the overly pious tone of the earlier movies will be changed for this slightly bigger budget remake.