Contact: Angie Burns, 217-552-5174

DETROIT, Sept. 24, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- John Rhys-Davies of Lord the Rings fame has officially accepted a lead role in Beyond the Mask, a period action-adventure currently filming in the Detroit area. Beloved by American and British audiences alike, SAG award winning actor Rhys-Davies is best known for his roles as Sallah in Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark and Gimli the dwarf in the acclaimed Lord the Rings trilogy.

This fall, Rhys-Davies will play Charles Kemp, a powerful entrepreneur in the British East India Company. Kemp is at once a respected businessman and feared criminal. Rhys-Davies joins a cast of over 30 respected actors, including Ade M'Cormack of Lost and Thomas Mahard of Gran Torino.

Set in the tumult of 1770s England and America, Beyond the Mask follows the trail of an East India Company hitman who seeks the power to bury his past, become a hero, and win the girl. Ultimately, in spite of his best efforts and traded identities, he realizes his need for justification through Christ alone. Marrying intense action-adventure and period drama, Beyond the Mask offers a unique and pioneering approach to Christian film.