Directed by James Cellan Jones; Written by ; Music by Laurence Rosenthal; Cinematography
Franco Di Giacomo; Distributed by CBS; Release dates 1980
The Day Christ Died is a 1980 American TV movie directed by James Cellan Jones. The collaborative production by 20th Century Fox and CBS-TV dramatizes the last 24 hours of Jesus Christ's life and is based on Jim Bishop's 1957 book of the same name.[1] Bishop, who did not accept the script adaptation, had his name removed from the credits, called the film "cheap revisionist history", and even tried unsuccessfully to change the film's title.[2] The Day Christ Died was filmed in Tunisia, at a cost of USD$2.8 million.[3] It was broadcast by CBS-TV on Wednesday, March 26, 1980. [4] Cast: Chris Sarandon as Jesus Christ; Colin Blakely as Caiaphas; Keith Michell as Pontius Pilate; Jonathan Pryce as Herod; Barrie Houghton as Judas; Jay O. Sanders as Simon Peter; Eleanor Bron as Mary; Delia Boccardo as Mary Magdelene; Hope Lange as Claudia (Pontius Pilate's wife); Oliver Cotton as John; Rod Dana as Abenadar ( )