Brad Pitt is reportedly circling the title role in Pontius Pilate, a new interpretation of sorts on the man that ordered the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. A biopic is in the works at Warner Bros who acquired the script from Tortilla Soup writer Vera Blasi.
The 49-year-old actor is not committed, but is reportedly close to signing on for the title role in a big budget Biblical epic.
Instead of a straight-ahead biblical story, the script describes the titular character as a ‘proud, capable Roman soldier’ whose ‘arrogance and inability to grasp the devoutness of the citizenry and its hatred for the Roman occupiers and their pagan gods leads him to make catastrophic decisions’ to allow Jesus to be crucified.
The period drama about one of history’s most vilified figures also features the Roman emperors Caligula and Tiberius as well as New Testament figures such as John the Baptist, Salome and Mary Magdalene, so this sounds like it will be an incredible film project.
The role of Pilate was previously played by famed Bulgarian thesp Hristo Shopov in Mel Gibson‘s The Passion Of The Christ, and by the founding father of ‘glam rock,’ David Bowie in Scorsese’s The Last Temptation Of Christ – not to mentionTelly Savalas in The Greatest Story Ever Told or Michael Palin’s portrayal in Life Of Brian.
What are your thoughts on the project?
Source: Deadline
