Reelzchannel is often one of those institutions people think about in a specific relation to something else. I, for one, only tend to think about Reelzchannel when I am catching a movie preview in a hotel room. This was a common theme for me until May, when Reelzchannel announced it would be launching a new bout of original programming with three new orders. Now, one of these new projects is finally getting its cast together.
When Reelzchannel first announced its new programming initiative, one project caught my eye. In the works was Barabbas, a four-part mini series taking place just after Pontius Pilate and the crowd gathered to release Barabbas from execution before taking the life of Jesus Christ. While we likely won’t get a lot of biblical references throughout the series, Barabbas will take a look inside the life of the criminal in the days following the life-altering event, focusing on the redemptive qualities of getting a second chance.
Now, Deadline has gotten word that Billy Zane will join the cast of the new miniseries. The actor has not secured just any role in the mini series--he will actually take the lead role of Barabbas, which is probably a good call, since we’ve all seen the epic beard the actor can grow. Despite taking on a good number of roles over the past few years, Zane really has not had a moderate success on television since Samantha Who? left the air, and Barabbas may be just the ticket to get the actor back into the TV game.
