Benedict Cumberbatch and James McAvoy join cast of new movie

Meanwhile, Caleb McLaughlin (Stranger Things), Teyana Taylor (Coming 2 America), Babs Olusanmokun (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds), Eric Kofi Abrefa (Sherlock), Nicholas Pinnock (Marcella), Micheal Ward (Top Boy), Chase Dillon (The Harder They Fall), Tom Glynn-Carney (SAS Rogue Heroes) and Tom Vaughan-Lawlor (Avengers: Endgame) have all also joined the stacked cast.

The film has reportedly been inspired by classic Hollywood epics such as Ben-Hur and The Greatest Story Ever Told, and will follow Stanfield's Clarence, a down-on-his-luck denizen of Jerusalem who attempts to capitalise on the rise of celebrity and influence of the Messiah for his own personal gain.

This journey will reportedly see Clarence explore the idea of faith, which will lead him to an unexpected path of his own. The film is being produced by Legendary Pictures and started production on Monday 5th December 2022 in Italy.

Samuel previously told Deadline of the project: "You remember those biblical epics, whether they were about the Bible or just taking place around it, from The Ten Commandments to The Greatest Story Ever Told, Samson and Delilah and Ben-Hur, which runs alongside all that stuff in the Bible?

"As will be The Book of Clarence, a full fun-filled extravaganza. It’s written and ready to go, and set in 29 AD.”

Cumberbatch and McAvoy previously appeared together in 2006 film Starter for Ten, before they both went on to play Marvel heroes Doctor Strange and Professor X respectively.

McAvoy will next be seen in the long-awaited third and final season of His Dark Materials, while Cumberbatch was last seen earlier this year in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Looking for something else to watch? Check out our TV Guide or Streaming Guide, or visit our Film hub for more news and features.

The latest issue of Radio Times is on sale now – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast.