Watch: Actors And Filmmakers Discuss The Themes Of <i>Killing Jesus</i>, And The Challenges Of Making It, In New Videos

Killing Jesus, which had its world premiere at the Sun Valley Film Festival two weeks ago, is getting a red-carpet premiere in New York City on Monday and will air on the National Geographic Channel the following Sunday. As the airdate nears, the channel has released a steady stream of videos on YouTube, featuring interviews with the filmmakers and new clips from the film. Check ’em all out below the jump.

First, although it does not seem to be embeddable here, you can watch a clip from the Sermon on the Mount — which includes the Lord’s Prayer — at Breathecast.

And now, the YouTube clips, starting with the director and actor profiles.

Director Chris Menaul on creating a believable Middle Eastern setting and telling a story with political elements that will resonate for modern audiences:

Haaz Sleiman on getting into character as Jesus:

Sleiman on what it’s like to play Jesus:

Abhin Galeya on playing John the Baptist, including an interesting remark on how Henry David Thoreau influenced his take on the character:

Joe Doyle on playing Judas Iscariot (note the clip in which Judas uses his 30 pieces of silver to buy a rope with which to hang himself, instead of returning the money to the priests as in Matthew’s gospel or buying a field with the money as in Acts):

John Rhys-Davies on playing the high priest Annas:

Eoin Macken on playing Herod Antipas:

Emmanuelle Chriqui on playing Herodias (or Herodia, as she is called here):

Stephen Moyer on playing Pontius Pilate:

Menaul, Sleiman, Macken, Galeya and Moyer on ‘The Power Struggle of the Time’:

And now, some of the more behind-the-scenes style clips.

Producer Aidan Elliot on ‘Behind the Production’:

Sleiman, Galeya, Doyle and Chriqui on filming in Morocco:

Menaul, Sleiman, Galeya, Chriqui, Moyer and Doyle on the costumes:

Chriqui, Stephanie Leonidas (who plays Salome) and Tamsin Egerton (who plays Claudia) on the women’s costumes (or, more specifically, on the costumes worn by the aristocratic women; there is no reference here to, say, Mary Magdalene):