NEW YORK (CNN) -- In the midst of the ongoing culture wars, can it be a good idea to put out a comedy about two Stone Age men who wander into the Bible?



In "Year One," Jack Black stars as an inquisitive Stone Age man, with Michael Cera as his sidekick.



Harold Ramis thinks so.



"Year One," which he directed, concerns two men -- played by Jack Black and Michael Cera -- who leave their home and, in their travels, meet biblical characters such as Cain, Abel, Abraham and Isaac. Among the locales: ancient Sodom, which "didn't seem worse than Las Vegas to me," Ramis told CNN.



"Year One" comes out Friday.



Ramis, whose writing and directing credits include "Groundhog Day" and "Analyze This," said it was time for a new biblical epic -- of sorts.



"No one had done this film for our generation," he told CNN. It's like, you know, when 'Animal House' [which Ramis co-wrote] came out, there were college films. Every generation had college films, but our generation didn't have one yet, and I don't know that our generation - this young, new generation of kids has a, you know, a sandal epic yet, and this is the one. This is for them."



Ramis rounded up a cast of comedians familiar to any watcher of Judd Apatow-produced movies -- no surprise, since Apatow is a producer of "Year One." Christopher Mintz-Plasse ("Superbad"), Horatio Sanz ("Saturday Night Live," "Step Brothers") and Bill Hader ("Tropic Thunder") all have parts.



"A lot of them were new to me," said Ramis. "[But] Jack knew them, Michael knew them, they were connected -- all connected through Judd Apatow, through 'Saturday Night Live' ... the comedy world is a club."



Black joked that everyone's a member of a secret society, requiring retinal scans, that meets "inside the O of the Hollywood sign -- the first O," he noted..



"All the projects are laid out on a table," he said. "And we talk generally about how we're gonna take over the planet, take over the comedy and keep a vise grip on it."



Black said he revels in the chance to find the humor in the Bible.



"That was the fun of this thing," he said. "It's like, we are going to have some fun with the Bible; you don't see it very often. It hasn't really been done since Monty Python days. 'Life of Brian.' "



However, the film could get more than it asked for. Films poking fun at the Bible -- or, indeed, treating the Bible with anything less than reverence -- have been the subject of protests and criticism.



"Life of Brian," the Python troupe's 1979 comedy about an assumed messiah that parodied the story of Jesus, was protested by clergy in the U.S. and banned outright in Ireland. French protesters threw Molotov cocktails into a Paris theater showing "The Last Temptation of Christ," Martin Scorsese's 1988 film version of Nikos Kazantzakis' novel.



More recently, Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ," though a huge financial success, was criticized by some observers for alleged anti-Semitism, as well as its violence.



Ramis, who observed that a number of biblical films focus on the New Testament, said he deliberately chose to make the Old Testament his subject.



"I told people that I wanted to do for the Old Testament what Monty Python did for the Gospels," he said. "Which is just to kind of take a funny look and project a contemporary sensibility back to these treasured myths of Western civilization.



"It wasn't so much to attack any particular religion," he added. "I figure all religions are
NEW YORK ( CNN ) -- In the midst of the ongoing culture wars , can it be a good idea to put out a comedy about two Stone Age men who wander into the Bible ? In " Year One , " Jack Black stars as an inquisitive Stone Age man , with Michael Cera as his sidekick . Harold Ramis thinks so . " Year One , " which he directed , concerns two men -- played by Jack Black and Michael Cera -- who leave their home and , in their travels , meet biblical characters such as Cain , Abel , Abraham and Isaac . Among the locales : ancient Sodom , which " did n't seem worse than Las Vegas to me , " Ramis told CNN . " Year One " comes out Friday . Ramis , whose writing and directing credits include " Groundhog Day " and " Analyze This , " said it was time for a new biblical epic -- of sorts . " No one had done this film for our generation , " he told CNN . It 's like , you know , when ' Animal House ' [ which Ramis co - wrote ] came out , there were college films . Every generation had college films , but our generation did n't have one yet , and I do n't know that our generation - this young , new generation of kids has a , you know , a sandal epic yet , and this is the one . This is for them . " Ramis rounded up a cast of comedians familiar to any watcher of Judd Apatow - produced movies -- no surprise , since Apatow is a producer of " Year One . " Christopher Mintz - Plasse ( " Superbad " ) , Horatio Sanz ( " Saturday Night Live , " " Step Brothers " ) and Bill Hader ( " Tropic Thunder " ) all have parts . " A lot of them were new to me , " said Ramis . " [ But ] Jack knew them , Michael knew them , they were connected -- all connected through Judd Apatow , through ' Saturday Night Live ' ... the comedy world is a club . " Black joked that everyone 's a member of a secret society , requiring retinal scans , that meets " inside the O of the Hollywood sign -- the first O , " he noted .. " All the projects are laid out on a table , " he said . " And we talk generally about how we 're gon na take over the planet , take over the comedy and keep a vise grip on it . " Black said he revels in the chance to find the humor in the Bible . " That was the fun of this thing , " he said . " It 's like , we are going to have some fun with the Bible ; you do n't see it very often . It has n't really been done since Monty Python days . ' Life of Brian . ' " However , the film could get more than it asked for . Films poking fun at the Bible -- or , indeed , treating the Bible with anything less than reverence -- have been the subject of protests and criticism . " Life of Brian , " the Python troupe 's 1979 comedy about an assumed messiah that parodied the story of Jesus , was protested by clergy in the U.S. and banned outright in Ireland . French protesters threw Molotov cocktails into a Paris theater showing " The Last Temptation of Christ , " Martin Scorsese 's 1988 film version of Nikos Kazantzakis ' novel . More recently , Mel Gibson 's " The Passion of the Christ , " though a huge financial success , was criticized by some observers for alleged anti - Semitism , as well as its violence . Ramis , who observed that a number of biblical films focus on the New Testament , said he deliberately chose to make the Old Testament his subject . " I told people that I wanted to do for the Old Testament what Monty Python did for the Gospels , " he said . " Which is just to kind of take a funny look and project a contemporary sensibility back to these treasured myths of Western civilization . " It was n't so much to attack any particular religion , " he added . " I figure all religions are
What are met with protest?
What are met with protest ?
Films poking fun at the Bible
Films poking fun at the Bible