The movie Killing Jesus is all set to make its premiere on March 29, Palm Sunday on the National Geographic Channel, according to author Bill O'Reilly.
He made the announcement on Wednesday night during The O'Reilly Factor show, and promised viewers that it will breathe new life into the story of Jesus, the Inquisitr shared.
O'Reilly and Martin Duggard released the novel Killing Jesus back in 2013, and it reached the No 1 spot in the New York Times bestseller list. It follows the success of Killing Lincoln and Killing Kennedy, both novels-turned-films previously written by the duo.
Unlike other stories concerning the life of Jesus Christ, O'Reilly and Martin decided to downplay the religious aspect in the film and instead focus on how Christ started the church.
"Martin Dugard and I are both Roman Catholics who were educated in religious schools. But we are also historical investigators and are interested primarily in telling the truth about important people, not converting anyone to a spiritual cause," explained O'Reilly.
He added that they delved heavily into the Roman culture that time, where human life was considered of little value. "To understand what Jesus accomplished and how he paid with his life, we have to understand what was happening around him," he said. "His was a time when Rome dominated the Western world and brooked no dissent. Life expectancy was less than forty years, and far less if you happened to anger the Roman powers that were."
The author teased that Killing Jesus will almost definitely spark controversy. But the controversial comments started way before the film is even shown, since lead actor Haaz Sleiman, who is a Muslim, was chosen to play the role of Jesus Christ.
But he defended his part in the film, saying that God Himself would not judge his participation negatively. "He said, 'Love your neighbour as yourself.' How would he react to me playing Jesus? He wouldn't judge it. He wouldn't judge his own enemy... playing this part highlights his teaching in a very nice way," the actor told EW.
Other members of the cast include Kelsey Grammer as King Herrod, Stephen Moyer as Pontius Pilate, Rufus Sewell as Caiaphas, and Eoin Macken as Antipas.
