James Faulkner, Jim Caviezel to star in new film about St. Paul the Apostle

James Faulkner and Jim Caviezel will star in a new biblical drama exploring the last days of St. Paul's life under the Emperor Nero in Rome.

Faulkner, known for his role as Randyll Tarly in the TV series "Game of Thrones," will be playing Paul, who went from the most infamous persecutor of Christians to Jesus' most influential apostle. Caviezel, who played Jesus Christ in "The Passion of the Christ," will be playing St. Luke.

"Paul, Apostle of Christ" is being produced by Sony Pictures, through its faith-based Affirm Films label. Other members of the cast include Olivier Martinez, Joanne Whalley and John Lynch.

Principal photography for the film has already begun, and it will continue shooting through the end of September on location in Malta, according to Deadline.

The inspirational film will follow Paul's last days awaiting execution by Emperor Nero under the watchful eye of Mauritius, Mamertine Prison's ambitious prefect, who seeks to understand how the apostle can pose such a threat.

During his imprisonment, Paul continues to work to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and embolden his followers to stand strong in the faith against Roman persecution.

"Next to Jesus, no one played a more central role in the growth of early church than the Apostle Paul," said Affirm Films executive vice president Rich Peluso. "He wrote a vast swath of the New Testament and traveled more than 10,000 miles by foot to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ," he added.

The movie is directed by Andrew Hyatt from his own screenplay and produced by David Zelon and T.J. Berden.

According to the Bible, Paul, who was previously known as Saul of Tarsus, was converted while traveling on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus during a mission to arrest Christians. On that journey, the resurrected Jesus appeared to him and he was struck blind for three days.

"Paul changed from murdering Christians to becoming their unlikely leader. His life personifies 'forgiveness,' a concept that seems almost impossible today — but desperately needed. We at ODB Films are overjoyed to be working alongside Sony Affirm to share this much needed story with the world," said Berden.

Zelon, who has already produced two films for Affirm Films, has previously worked with Caviezel on the football drama "When the Game Stands Tall."

The film, which will be Caviezel's first biblical role since "Passion of the Christ," is slated for a 2018 release.