Pierce Brosnan, Mark Hamill and Ben Kingsley are set to bring Jesus Christ’s adversaries to life in an animated feature inspired by a posthumously published story from Charles Dickens.
The three performers will portray villains as part of the star-studded voice cast for director Seong-ho “Jay” Jang’s The King of Kings. Hailing from South Korea-based animation house Mofac Animation, the film is loosely based on The Life of Our Lord, the Dickens short story that was published decades after the author’s death and focuses on the life and times of Christ.
Brosnan voices Pontius Pilate, the biblical figure who ordered Jesus’ crucifixion. Hamill will tackle the role of King Herod, who is described in the Bible as ordering the Massacre of the Innocents shortly after Jesus’ birth. Kingsley is taking on the part of High Priest Caiaphas, who presided over the Sanhedrin trial of Jesus.
The King of Kings is in final stages of production and currently seeking distribution. The film’s team is aiming for a release timed to Easter 2025.
The King of Kings
Courtesy of Mofac Animation
The film follows Dickens, youngest son Walter and their cat Willa as they find themselves immersed in the story of Jesus, including memorable friends and foes. As The Hollywood Reporter previously reported, Kenneth Branagh voices Dickens, Roman Griffin Davis (Jojo Rabbit) takes on Walter, and Uma Thurman portrays the author’s wife, Catherine Dickens.
Other previously announced voice stars include Oscar Isaac as Jesus Christ and Forest Whitaker as apostle Peter.
Jang directs The King of Kings from a script he co-wrote with Rob Edwards (The Princess and the Frog). Anfernee Kim (Last Knights) serves as producer, while voice and casting director Jamie Thomason (Spirited Away) and veteran filmmaking executive Andrew Mann (Gold) are executive producers.
“The true measure of a hero is always judged by the strength of his foes, and Sir Ben Kingsley, Pierce Brosnan and Mark Hamill deliver impactful performances that elevate their respective villains to appropriately biblical heights,” Kim said in a statement. “This cast is laden with winners of every major acting award, and they’ve all bought their A-games for a story most deserving of their impressive collective talents.”
Brosnan, whose recent projects include The Out-Laws and HBO’s The Great Lillian Hall, has been filming Steven Soderbergh’s spy thriller Black Bag. Hamill voiced a role in the Oscar-winning The Boy and the Heron and is set to appear in Mike Flanagan’s forthcoming Stephen King adaptation The Life of Chuck. An Oscar winner for Gandhi, Kingsley appeared in last year’s film short The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and will co-star on the new Disney+ series Wonder Man.
