Cyrus

Nowrasteh

Cyrus Nowrasteh was born in Boulder, Colorado of Iranian parents, and lived in Iran as a young boy. A graduate of the USC cinema program, he has worked in the motion picture and television business for over 20 years. He has worked as a writer on a number of TV series, most notably developing and writing the pilot for the hit USA network show, “La Femme Nikita” which ran for five years (1996-2001) and was the most successful series on USA up to that time.

Nowrasteh’s next project, The Young Messiah, is a biblical drama  set for release on March 11th, 2016. Filmed in Matera and Rome, Italy, the plot follows Jesus Christ at age 7 when he returns to Nazareth and learns about his true place in the universe as the son of God.

Nowrasteh acquired the film rights in 2011, and wrote the script along with his wife Betsy Giffen. Chris Columbus developed the film through his 1492 Pictures banner and helped get financing through Ocean Blue Entertainment. Focus Features/Universal acquired the US distribution rights in 2014. Principal photography began on September 15, 2014 in Matera and Rome, Italy. The film was delivered (completion of post-production) in June, 2015.