Who would you cast as Pontius Pilate?
Has he ever been a central character in a film? [UPDATE: He was!] I have a vivid memory of David Bowie’s imperious turn in The Last Temptation of Christ; and Ciarin Hinds seems like an obvious go-to guy for toga-wearing, Roman leader roles.
Whoever gets the part, this sounds like it could bring a fascinating new perspective to the life of Christ on film. Here’s the scoop from Deadline…
Warner Bros has acquired Pontius Pilate, a script by Woman On Top scribe Vera Blasi about one of the most vilified figures in history, even before Mick Jagger sang about him. It becomes the latest in a growing list of Biblical-themed projects taking shape at studios all over town. Mark Johnson will direct through his Gran Via banner, Lynn Harris is steering the project and they are already talking to directors. I got hold of a draft, and while it is always a challenge to mount a big budget period film, this one is strong enough to follow a fast track toward production.
Harvey Keitel played Pilate in a pretty big role for an old film with Keith Carradine about the resurrection, titled The Inquiry.