Someday you'll be able to download the Bible from the heavens. Well, from the Internet anyway.

Visual Bible International is producing a cinematic version of the Bible that can be downloaded off the Internet and played on your DVD. If the projected cost of $400 million seems extravagant, that's nothing compared to the 15 years it will take to be completed. What makes the Visual Bible unique is that it is a word-for-word filmed version of the book. Much of the funding is coming from Trinity Capital, a merchant bank based in Toronto that was impressed by how well a one-time venture by Visual Bible did. The success of the Gospel of Matthew video persuaded Trinity to pursue the project. Matthew sold 500,000 copies, mostly in Texas and Arizona, earning $50 million over three years. "That was the benchmark test that says the marketplace was ready to embrace the text of the Bible in a visual format," said Todd Heinzl, Visual Bible's vice president of investor relations. Visual Bible International is now preparing to film the Gospel Books of Mark, Luke, and John, as well as Genesis and Revelation. It hopes to launch the books of the Apostles in time for next Easter. The company also has a website, http://www.visualbible.com/, offering a variety of merchandise, including videos, DVDs, books, and even framed art prints -- stills from the video version of Matthew.