Synopsis

In ancient Persia, orphaned Jewish girl Hadassah is taken into the royal court and eventually chosen as Queen Esther by King Xerxes. As she adjusts to palace life, she discovers a plot to destroy her people. Esther must overcome fear, political intrigue, and the danger of approaching the king without permission in order to expose the conspiracy and save the Jews of Persia.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film is based on the novel Hadassah: One Night with the King by Tommy Tenney and Mark Andrew Olsen. Screenwriter Stephan Blinn adapted the novel for the film.

• Although the story is set in ancient Persia, the production was filmed entirely in Rajasthan, India. The region supplied the locations and visual scale needed for the palace courtyards, streets, desert landscapes, and battle scenes.

• The production was made by Gener8Xion Entertainment, a company associated with faith-based films. It was released theatrically in the United States by 8x Entertainment in October 2006.

• The movie expands the biblical account with invented war material, additional palace politics, and a more developed romantic history between Esther and Xerxes.

• Jeannie Tenney, who co-wrote the source novel with her husband, Tommy Tenney, wrote and performed the title song heard over the end credits.

• With a reported production budget of about $20 million, the film earned roughly $13.7 million worldwide during its theatrical release.

• The film received a PG rating in the United States for violence, some sensuality, and thematic elements.