The Day Christ Died

The Day Christ Died is a 1980 American television film 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. The book was co-adapted by James Lee Barrett, who, 15 years prior, had scripted The Greatest Story Ever Told for George Stevens.

Bishop, who did not accept the adaptation, had his name removed from the credits. He called the film "cheap revisionist history", and even tried unsuccessfully to change the film's title. The Day Christ Died was filmed in Tunisia, at a cost of US$2.8 million. It was broadcast by CBS-TV on Wednesday, March 26, 1980.

Plot
Around the same time that a popular mob hero named Barabbas is arrested and convicted by Pontius Pilate and his lieutenant governor/aide Tullius, Jesus of Nazareth arrives in Jerusalem in time for the celebration of the Passover/Seder. The High Priest Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin, who oppose and find Jesus to be a menace and danger to their traditions, scarcely bargain with Pilate on how to detain Jesus. This ideas initially goes well with Pilate since he fears a riot from a mob clamoring for Barabbas release. When Jesus is finally condemned by the Sanhedrin and handed over to Pilate, he uses him as a decoy or alternative to please the Jerusalem populace by acquitting Barabbas and sentencing Jesus to be crucified in his place.

Cast

 * Chris Sarandon    as	Jesus Christ
 * Colin Blakely	as	Caiaphas
 * Keith Michell	as     Pontius Pilatus
 * Jonathan Pryce    as	Herod Antipas
 * Barrie Houghton	as	Judas
 * Tim Pigott-Smith	as	Tullius
 * 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
 * Gordon Gostelow	as	Nicodemus
 * Nando Paone as Thaddeus
 * Samuele Cerri as Nathaniel