Sam Neill is about to go biblical on us all.
“Alcatraz” and “Jurassic Park” alum Neill has been cast in CBS’s upcoming event miniseries “The Dovekeepers,” from executive producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, CBS said Monday.
See video: ‘The Dovekeepers’ Kicks Off Production in Malta With Actual Birds
The miniseries, which is slated for a 2015 premiere, is based on Alice Hoffman’s historical novel about extraordinary women whose lives intersect in a fight for survival at the siege of Masada.
Neil will play Josephus, the somewhat controversial first-century Jewish scholar and historian. In this project, he is seen interviewing the few adult survivors of the siege of Masada to record the events. These interviews are the first-hand accounts included among the vast annals of history of the Jewish-Roman War.
“The Dovekeepers” is currently in production in Malta.
“We are delighted to have the incredibly talented Sam Neill, an actor whose breadth of experience will bring such depth and vision to the role of Josephus,” Downey said of the casting. “Sam is a wonderfully exciting choice to bring Josephus to life in this gripping story of Masada.”
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The cast of “The Dovekeepers” also includes Cote de Pablo (“NCIS,” “The 33”), Rachel Brosnahan (“Manhattan,” “House of Cards”) and Kathryn Prescott (“Finding Carter,” “Skins”), as well as Diego Boneta (“Rock of Ages,” “Pele”).
CBS Television Studios and LightWorkers Media, a division of United Artists Media Group, are co-producing.