The Book of Clarence Adds Benedict Cumberbatch & More

As production begins on The Book of Clarence in Italy, The Hollywood Reporter brings word that Jeymes Samuel’s biblical drama has welcomed a star-studded cast, including Marvel stars Benedict Cumberbatch and James McAvoy who will be joining previously announced leads LaKeith Stanfield and Omar Sy.

In addition to Cumberbatch and McAvoy, Alfre Woodard, David Oyelowo, Anna Diop, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Caleb McLaughlin, Teyana Taylor, Babs Olusanmokun, Eric Kofi Abrefa, Nicholas Pinnock, Micheal Ward, Chase Dillon, Tom Glynn-Carney, and Tom Vaughan-Lawlor have also been cast for the project.

The Book of Clarence is written and directed by The Harder They Fall filmmaker Jeymes Samuel, who previously described the film as a “fun-filled extravaganza” in the vein of biblical epics such as The Ten Commandments or The Greatest Story Ever Told. The film is being produced by Samuel with Garrett Grant executive producing.

“Inspired by classic Hollywood epics set in Biblical times, the film tells the tale of Clarence, a down-on-his-luck denizen of Jerusalem embarking on a misguided attempt to capitalize on the rise of celebrity and influence of the Messiah for his own personal gain,” reads the synopsis. “It is a journey that leads him on an exploration of the idea of faith and to a highly unexpected path of his own.”