By Alexander Kirry
The new feature length version of the classic LDS film Johnny Lingo will be released on DVD today, May 11.
'The Legend of Johnny Lingo' was transformed from the original BYU production into an hour-and-a-half feature length film. In the original 'Johnny Lingo' the title character explains that he was in love with Mahana since his childhood.
The new movie goes deeper into the story of Johnny and Mahana as children of the island. The Johnny Lingo legend extends even further than just the production done at BYU more than 35 years ago.
'There is a certain innocence about this film that people really like,' Executive Producer Brad Pelo said. According to Pelo, 'The Legend of Johnny Lingo' was the only live-action (non-animation) movie released in 2003 that received a 'G' rating. It was only one of two total that received the 'G' rating from the Motion Picture Association of America, along with the Walt Disney animated feature 'Finding Nemo.'
'I love being a part of any movie that can be uplifting to audiences,' Pelo said.
Both 'Johnny Lingo' and 'The Legend of Johnny Lingo' are based on the original short story 'Johnny Lingo and the Eight-cow wife' by Patricia McGerr.
'The movie puts a new twist on a beloved classic that is sure to continue feeding the next generation of youth with this icon of our culture,' Deseret Book Chief Marketing Officer, Don Stirling said.
The new movie cast includes notable names in the film making industry, both in the United States and New Zealand. The all-Polynesian cast saw familiar actors such as Joe Falou, from 'The Other Side of Heaven' and Rawiri Parantene, from 'Whale Rider.' Members of the 'Lord of the Rings' production crew were involved in making the movie. Having filmed in locations like New Zealand and the Cook Islands, the crew was able to see some of the most picturesque scenery in the world.
Distributed by MGM, the DVD will be released in a standard format that features the new feature film 'The Legend of Johnny Lingo' and is only available at certain movie outlets.
Deseret Book Distributors, a division of Deseret Book Company, will release the film in 'classic' format which will include bonus features with deleted scenes, a documentary on Johnny Lingo called '8 Cows - Millions of Hearts' and the full, digitally re-mastered, 1969 BYU production