“Killing Jesus” cast to include Kelsey Grammer, Stephen Moyer

Kelsey Grammer, Stephen Moyer and Emmanuelle Chriqui are among the performers who have been cast in National Geographic Channel’s “Killing Jesus,” an adaptation of the bestselling book by Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard.

Haaz Sleiman (“The Visitor”) will play the title character in the film, which is scheduled to premiere on the channel next year.

Grammer (“Frasier”) will play King Herod, the ambitious King of Judea who the Bible says attempted to kill Jesus at his birth, while Moyer (“True Blood”) will portray Pontius Pilate, best known as the Roman governor who ordered Jesus’ crucifixion.

Chriqui (“Entourage”) will play Herodia, ex-wife of Herod II and the wife of his brother Antipas who manipulated her husband and daughter into killing John the Baptist.

Others in the cast include John Rhys-Davies (the “Indiana Jones” movies), Rufus Sewell (“Hercules”) and Eoin Macken (“The Night Shift”)

The film will mark the third collaboration between National Geographic Channel, O’Reilly and Scott Free Productions, the producer of the film. “Killing Lincoln” and “Killing Kennedy” were also developed by them.