Will Clavius take place before or after the Resurrection?

Tom Felton hasn’t posted any photos from the set of Clavius lately, but he did talk about the movie while attending the BFI London Film Festival last week.

Red Carpet News posted a video of their exchange with him, which you can watch after the jump. The gist of it, though, is that Felton confirms he is playing a Roman, and one who is apparently rather pampered, at that, and who finds himself adjusting to his current assignment in Judea with some difficulty.

However, Felton also says that the film is “a telling of the crucifixion”, and that his character is thrust “into the midst of the trial and crucifixion of Jesus Christ.”

That’s interesting, as all the earlier reports I heard said the film would concern a Roman investigation into reports of the resurrection of Jesus. (Indeed, the film’s title last year was Resurrection, and I’m pretty sure the screenplay grew out of an even earlier script called Risen: The Story of the First Easter.)

I wouldn’t be at all surprised if there were flashbacks to the trial and crucifixion of Jesus. But Felton seems to be indicating here that his character will be thrust into the midst of the trial and crucifixion of Jesus as they happen.

Ah well. We shall see when the film is complete.

In the meantime, here is a transcript of the relevant bits:

Tom Felton: It’s titled Clavius. It’s a telling of the crucifixion through the eyes of an agnostic Roman legionnaire. It’s a very different and interesting spin on the story that we all know so well. We’re halfway through shooting at the moment. I’m having a great time working with Joseph Fiennes and likewise with Kevin Reynolds, a really experienced filmmaker. And very excited to see the result.

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Tom Felton: I play Joseph Fiennes’ sort of right-hand man, a very young, fresh-faced aide, whose only really been used to the sort of luxuries of Rome and is now thrusted into the midst of the trial and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. So he has to learn very quickly on his feet, and it’s a very exciting role.

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When you’re tackling any religious material, it’s always prone to controversy and people getting sensitive about it. Did you have any hesitation because of that?

Tom Felton: When I first heard the concept, yes, there was some slight hesitation for the reasons that you just noted. This is such a different spin on it that, quite quickly upon reading the screenplay, I realized that it wasn’t sort of touching on sort of the controversial elements of the religious material. It was really a beautiful way of sort of weaving a fictitious tale into the historical facts that we know. So I don’t think it’s going to be the cause of too much controversy. At the same time, I think it will really change people’s perception on what it may have been like at that time.

And here is the video of the red-carpet interview itself: