Good News Holdings might have scrapped its plans to make a movie out of Anne Rice's Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt, a fictional story about Jesus' childhood years. But that's not stopping others from making films with a similar theme.

Drew Heriot, director of the self-help documentary The Secret, has been tapped to direct The Aquarian Gospel, a movie that follows the life of Christ through his "missing years"—including ages 13 through 30. Meanwhile, Jesus: The Lost Years, a documentary based on the Paul Perry book Jesus in Egypt, comes to DVD on November 13.

Variety reports that the script for the former film is based on a pair of books: The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus Christ, by writer Levi Dowling, and The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ, by Russian anthropologist Nicholas Notovich. The film "chronicles Jesus' journeys from Israel through India, Tibet, Persia, Greece and Egypt as he encounters people of all creeds, classes and faiths."

Meanwhile, Jesus: The Lost Years, billing itself as "The Greatest Story NEVER Told," takes a speculative look at Christ's boyhood years in Egypt after his family fled Israel. Press materials say that "acclaimed" researcher John de Bry and filmmaker "traversed the sands of Egypt, following the Holy Family's actual route." This alleged route was allegedly "outlined by Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Christians and officially certified as authentic in 2000." (There's no mention who actually "authenticated" such a speculative, and possibly outright fictional, "Holy Family Trail," but mere conjecture never stopped anyone from writing a book or making a movie before.)

In other movie news:

Animated Ten Commandments comes October 19 (official site)
Christian Slater voices Moses, Ben Kingsley narrates

Judge sides with Peter Jackson against New Line (E! News)
Studio given large penalty for unfairness to the director

A Severe Mercy hits the Web (official site)
Act One's Barbara Nicolosi pens script

CBS asks: Should movies with cigarettes be rated R? (The Early Show)
Study says kids more likely to smoke if they see it on TV

The Rev follows traveling evangelist on the road (official site)
Faith-based indie out now on DVD

Dark Knight crew member killed in accident (USA Today)
Special effects technician dies in truck crash

Karate Kid actor makes faith-based film (OC Register)
Billy Zabka discusses beliefs in short film Most

Wes Anderson to let Owen Wilson speak for himself (USA Today)
New film overshadowed by actor's illness; free prequel on iTunes

Anderson unveils short Darjeeling Limited prequel (Wall Street Journal)
Hotel Chevalier free download on iTunes

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