An epic film about Prophet Mohammed backed by the producer of The Lord of the Rings and The Matrix is being planned with the aim of “bridging cultures”.

Filming of the $150 million English-language film is set to start in 2011 with American Barrie Osborne as its producer, Qatari media company Alnoor Holdings said.

The film – in which the Prophet would not be depicted, in accordance with Islamic rules – is in development and talks are being held with studios, talent agencies and distributors in the US and Britain, Alnoor said. - Reuters