It has been almost 50 years since anyone attempted to tell the story of Moses on the big screen. The Ridley Scott, Christian Bale, Moses movie called "Exodus Gods and Kings" has just released its first pictures.

Charlton Heston was the first to do Moses, and his performance has become something of a legend. Speaking about filling the iconic role Christian Bale said, "Charlton Heston does Charlton Heston better than anyone," says Bale. "But the biblical account of Moses is extraordinary, and there was lots of room for us to go to places that [Heston's movie] 'The Ten Commandments' never dreamed of going."

Moses was a prophet who fought against Pharaoh Ramses to free Jewish slaves by having god visit 10 plagues against the Egyptians. He then led the Israelites through the desert to escape from Egypt, only to die while wandering in the desert for forty years as a punishment for a momentary lack of faith. He also parted the Red Sea and unveiled the Ten Commandments.

"What I thought I knew about Moses I didn't really," Scott says. "Either I wasn't paying attention in Sunday school or I had forgotten. I was knocked out by who he was and the basics of the story-it has to be one of the greatest adventures and spiritual experiences that could ever have been."

For his 22nd film "Exodus Gods and Kings," director Ridley Scott assembled a dream team cast that includes, Joel Edgerton, Sigourney Weaver, Ben Kingsley, John Turturro, and Aaron Paul.

Joel Edgerton who plays Ramses said "When you're Ridley, you pick up the phone and people will turn up. I had to battle demons of self-doubt to feel like I belonged in this club."

Filming was done in Almería, in Spain along the Mediterranean Sea, as well as the Canary Islands. "It has these stunning beaches," Bale says of the picturesque coast. "It looks like a Tyrannosaurus rex could come running around a corner."

Edgerton recalls how Scott would quickly draw the complex backdrops that would replace the working greenscreen. "It would be a quick, one-minute sketch, but you'd suddenly see what's out there," Edgerton says. "Filmmaking for him must be like breathing." Bale also has nothing but praise for the veteran director: "He's got all the passion of a young filmmaker. He's not jaded."

"Exodus Gods and Kings" delves into rather dark subject matter-"There's nothing mild about the Exodus or Moses," says Bale.

"I still privately don't know how we did it, but we did," Scott says. "I haven't had that much fun in a while."

"Exodus: Gods and Kings" will be released December 12, 2014