Jesus Christ Superstar (film) who had played Jesus is missing. A shepherd and his flock cross the hillside beneath the empty cross ("John Nineteen Forty-One"). During filming of "Fiddler on the Roof", Barry Dennen, who played Pilate on the concept album, suggested to Norman Jewison that he should direct "Jesus Christ Superstar" as a film. After hearing the album, Jewison agreed. The cast consisted mostly of actors from the Broadway show, with Ted Neeley and Carl Anderson starring as Jesus and Judas respectively. Neeley had played a reporter and a leper in the Broadway version, and understudied the role of Jesus. Likewise, Anderson understudied
Jesus Christ Superstar (film) at the box office and earned North American rentals of $10.8 million in 1973, against an estimated production budget of $3.5 million. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 55% based on 22 reviews, with an average rating of 6/10. On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 64 out of 100 based on 7 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Years later the film was still popular, winning a 2012 "Huffington Post" competition for "Best Jesus Movie." Jewison was able to show the film to Pope Paul VI, "who openly loved what