A.D. The Bible Continues is a story of faith and courage, and co-producer Roma Downey believes that people don't necessarily have to be of Christian faith in order to enjoy its story.
The new faith-based series from Downey and her husband Mark Burnett premiered on Easter Sunday with the episode "The Tomb is Open" and shows Jesus Christ, played by Juan Pablo Di Pace dying on the cross, then being buried in the tomb before an angel comes down from heaven and rolls away the stone.
"With A.D. The Bible Continues, we have been able to use the death of Jesus as the starting point because really it's the journey of what happens next," Downey explained to The Hollywood Reporter. "It was a moment that changed the world — it changed world history. It had resounding impact."
The couple relied on the book of Acts from the Bible, backed up with other historical documents to ensure that "the story will have a fullness and that the audience can come to it and understand."
Downey and Burnett originally planned on a September 2015 launch, but NBC Chairman Bob Greenblatt suggested that they shoot for an Easter premiere, and the couple liked the idea.
"We started principal photography in September and we just finished principal photography on St. Patrick's Day, so the pressure has been hard on our postproduction team to edit it quickly so that we are able to make the delivery date," Downey said. "But it's all come together so well."
They filmed A.D. The Bible Continues in Morocco, and the series boasts of a culturally diverse cast, which Richard Coyle, Adam Levy, Joanne Whalley, Greta Scacchi, and Babou Ceesay, among others.
One of the biggest challenges the producers had to take on for the show was presenting the Biblical characters in a human way.
"These characters didn't know they were in the Bible. They didn't know the outcome from the Bible. They're humans; they're flawed humans," said Downey. "And we wanted to show it with grittiness and authenticity in a compelling, surprising way to draw the viewer."
