EastEnders legend John Altman starring in new sci-fi film inspired by Stanley Kubrick from beyond the grave
Former EastEnders actor John Altman stars in new sci-fi movie The Grail Code - Revelation Zero, playing failed grail hunter Johnny Calvi.
EastEnders legend John Altman is to star in a new sci-fi film The Grail Code - Revelation Zero - which is inspired by a message from Stanley Kubrick from beyond the grave.
The 73-year-old actor - who is famous for playing Walford villain 'Nasty' Nick Cotton in the BBC One soap on-and-off for 30 years - is the lead character in the movie, which has been written and directed by ufologist and filmmaker Mark Christopher Lee.
The movie serves as a prequel to The Last Grail Hunter with Altman reprising his role as Johnny Calvi, a failed grail hunter battling with alcoholism who makes one last attempt to find the Holy Grail - the cup that Jesus drank from at the Last Supper.
Mark has revealed the idea for the film's plot came to him in a dream during which late director Kubrick sent him a message to continue the message he was trying to relay in his final film Eyes Wide Shut about secret society the Illuminati's influence on society.
In an interview with BANG Showbiz, Mark said: "The Grail Code - Revelation Zero is a prequel to The Last Grail Hunter, it's got John Altman again. The actual idea for the film came to me from Stanley Kubrick.
"Kubrick came to me in a dream one night - it's exploring his last film Eyes Wide Shut.
"I've been told independently by someone who knows Stanley Kubrick's cameraman that Eyes Wide Shut was not the film he wanted released. It was edited in such a way that the Illuminati side of it was downplayed. I know there's still a lot of weird stuff in there but Kubrick wanted it to be about the Illuminati and the control they had over the world. That was a too much for Warner Bros. so it was downplayed in the final cut.
"The Grail Code - Revelation Zero. It's mostly a sci-fi feature narrative but then it merges that with documentary footage as well going into the different conspiracies about the Illuminati."
Eyes Wide Shut was released in July 1999 and starred then married couple Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman playing husband and wife Dr. William "Bill" Harford and Alice Harford whose relationship is falling apart.
Bill ends up becoming embroiled in a secretive society and witnessing ritualistic sexual practices, but he is outed as an outsider which endangers his and his family's lives.
In recent years, the themes of the film have been studied with many critics believed Kubrick - who died from a heart attack in March 1999 aged 70 - was trying to tell the world his beliefs about the Illuminati and higher echelons of society.
Mark's first film starring Altman The Last Grail Hunter was set in the future where society has been rebuilt and controlled by a secret organisation called the Priory of Sion and The Last Grail Hunter is a popular game and Johnny Calvi is its hero.
Mark previously revealed that The Last Grail Hunter was inspired by his love of late American filmmaker Roger Corman, who directed over 500 movies, many of which were low-budget features which gained a cult following, including 1960s The Little Shop of Horrors, The Intruder released in 1962 and 1963's X: The Man with the X-ray Eyes.
He said: "It's inspired by my love of B movies and sci-fi - the whole idea and plot came to me one night in a dream by Roger Corman - I woke up and wrote it all down. Two weeks later we had finished the film.
"I spoke to John about the film and he loved the concept - it's basically like Mr Bean meets The Exorcist doing an episode of the Twilight Zone."
