Argentinian actor Juan Pablo Di Pace has been tapped to portray Jesus in the new NBC series "A.D.: Beyond the Bible".
Di Pace announced the news on social media on Wednesday, and said that he is "humbled and happy to be playing HIM".
"A.D." is the sequel to the hit Mark Burnett and Roma Downey-produced miniseries "The Bible", which aired on The History Channel last year. The ten-episode airing at times beat out "The Walking Dead" and "Game of Thrones," and attracted more than 10 million viewers per episode on average.
Burnett and Downey also used footage from the Jesus portion of "The Bible" miniseries and turned them into a feature-length film called "Son of God." The February 2014 release grossed $60 million domestically.
"A.D." begins after the resurrection of Christ, and follows the lives of King Herod's family, Roman politicians, temple priests, and the disciples. Burnett said it "could become NBC's biggest series in many, many years," and has powerful storylines.
"These disciples, after Jesus dies and resurrects, the Holy Spirit comes upon them and there is only one way for them–that's spreading the good news of Jesus," he told Forbes Magazine in June. "What a drama."
Di Pace, 35, appeared in the newest adaption of "Dallas," as well as the 2008 film "Mamma Mia!". He has lived in Spain, Italy, and England, and studied theatre at the London Studio Centre.
"A.D." will premiere on Easter Sunday 2015, and is expected to run for 12 episodes.
Burnett and Downey, who are married, will also bring "Women of the Bible" to Lifetime on December 7. The two-hour special will tell stories of important biblical women through the voices of contemporary, female religious leaders such as Victoria Osteen, Kay Warren, and Joyce Meyer.
Also on Lifetime, Burnett and Downey's "Red Tent" will air on December 7 and 8. The biblical miniseries tells the story of Dinah, the daughter of Leah and Jacob.
