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This Easter Sunday, April 5 premiers “A.D.: The Bible Continues,” a 12-week NBC miniseries.
From executive producers
Roma Downey ("The Bible") and Mark Burnett ("The Bible," "The Voice")
comes an uplifting spiritual journey through the later chapters of
biblical history. "A.D. The Bible Continues" picks up where the smash
hit miniseries "The Bible" left off, focusing on the disciples who had
to go forward and spread the teachings of Christ to a world dominated by
political unrest, and the start of a whole new religion that would
dramatically reshape the history of the world.
Alright, that’s a fancy
way of saying that it’s about what is recorded in the Acts of the
Apostles and the Epistles. So, is this movie going to be about history
that has relevance today only to religious types? From what I’ve been
reading, the answer is a resounding no.
Listen in to the
reflections of the members of the cast shared with Kate O’Hare after a
press conference at the biannual Television Critics Association Press
Tour in Pasadena, California:
Babou Ceesay, who plays
John the Apostle, stated: “The most powerful thing that comes out of
‘A.D.’ for me is this idea that once the Crucifixion happens, and after
the Resurrection, the message is left in the hands of people, just
people, against the might of Rome, against a completely different
ideology, a very simple message, one that’s not popular, that’s just
‘show some love, some patience,’ and that this small group of people did
actually change the world….”
Today’s daily account of
horrific violent extremism and religious persecution is never far from
most of our minds. Perhaps “A.D.” has something to say to us…today…in
our situation.
Cipo Chung who played
Mary Magdalene (born in Tanzania, raised in Zimbabwe) said about the
power of love: “That’s what really excited me about the script and the
concept when I first read it, that it was about Jesus and the impact
that He had on the disciples and how that extended. But really, it was
about social change, about how this small group of people managed to
change the world.”
Roma
Downey described the tone of “A.D” as being fast-paced, filled with
political intrigue and the religious oppression of the times. However,
she remarked at the press conference, “It goes from big and epic to the
sweetness and intimacy of relationships.”
The cast of “A.D.”
represents over 15 countries, intentionally being international. The
cast doesn’t attempt to reproduce the ethnicity of the original people
because Downey and Burnett wanted the cast to be reflective of the
world, the millions of ordinary people everywhere who have lived and
died for this story. The final choice of actors certainly came down to
who was the best actor for the roles, but they are pleased with the fact
that people will be able to turn on the TV and see themselves in the
story.
With the Release of “A.D.: The Bible Continues” this Easter,
we just might rediscover our own identity
as people who love
and who spread the Gospel of love
to the ends of the earth.
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