Meet the Nearly 8-Foot Man Set to Star in Biblical Epic 'David and Goliath

The biblical story of David and Goliath is heading to the big screen next year, offering up yet another faith-based film in a series of high-profile movies aimed at church-going audiences.

In preparing to tell the story — which can be found in 1 Samuel — "David and Goliath" filmmakers obviously had a tough task in finding an actor to play Goliath, the massive giant who towered over David.

But director Tim Chey — a former atheist who converted to Christianity — recently announced that casting directors accomplished the feat in locating Jerry Sokolosky, who, standing at 7 feet 8 inches tall, has been dubbed "the tallest man in Canada," according to a press release.

See a video showing Sokolosky's size below:

Finding an actor to play the role was no easy task, as Chey said his team didn't want to rely on CGI imitation and graphic tricks to create a believable Goliath. Instead, they wanted to find a person who could embody the biblical figure by getting as close as possible to his actual size.

"Jerry was a tremendous blessing," the director said. "We didn't want to create a CGI imitation like 'The Incredible Hulk' and so our casting directors set out to find the biggest guy and he's very big."

Chey continued: "Goliath stood at nine feet. So Jerry was about a foot and four inches shorter than the real thing. He adds an incredible, realistic dimension."

Sokolosky, a former NBA hopeful and wrestler, entered the acting world after his sports career ended.

Actor Jerry Sokoloski (Image via: Jerry Sokoloski Official Page)

Chey told the Christian Post earlier this year that "David and Goliath" will be "biblically correct in every way," highlighting what viewers can expect.

"I want to show more of the cruelty of who the Philistines were and who Goliath was through historical data. Also, I want to flesh out the powerful fear Goliath instilled on Saul's army," he said. "Also David's brothers — the incredible tears they must have shed knowing the little brother was going to take on the 9-foot warrior. It could have been a Shakespearean tragedy, but turned into a victory through God."

"David and Goliath, is in post production and expected to release in 2015. Read more about the film here.

(H/T: Christian Today)