'A.D' On NBC: 'The Bible' Sequel to Star Argentina's Juan Pablo di Pace as Jesus in Miniseries Detailing Aftermath of Christ's Death
On Easter Sunday, April 5, 2015, NBC will be re-embarking on a spiritual journey with "A.D.," the much anticipated follow-up to the History Channel's epic mini-series "The Bible," from executive producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey.
Hunky Argentina native Juan Pablo di Pace will play Jesus and follow in the footsteps of Portuguese actor and former model Diogo Morgado, who starred in both "The Bible" and "Son of God," as well as ABC's "Revenge." Morgado's handsome looks created quite the buzz online and created #hotjesus, so there's no telling what Di Pace's presence may bring to the cyber world, with its endless hashtag possibilities.
Di Pace, who also has an extensive Instagram and Twitter following, has landed other TV gigs, such as the NBC series "Camp" and TNT's reboot of "Dallas."
He tweeted: "Excited to be playing Jesus in @ADTheSeries coming Easter Sunday to @nbc. #ADTheSeries" as well as his excitement for the recently released trailer (see below).
Needless to say, Di Pace will have big sandals to fill – Jim Caviezel of 2004's "The Passion of the Christ" also preceded him in the intense role.
As history has shown, biblically and figuratively speaking, the captivating story ingrained in many of us resonates with many, including the Latino audience, as well as the TV-going audience.
"With NBC partnering to bring the follow-up to broadcast, the network is hoping to duplicate the success History Channel had with 'The Bible,'" The Hollywood Reporter pointed out. "The 10-parter debuted to 13.1 million viewers March 3, before wrapping up Easter Sunday with 11.7 million."
What should TV viewers expect from the next uplifting installment?
"'A.D.' is an uplifting and harrowing journey through the beginning moments of the birth of the church picking up where the smash hit, The Bible, left off," according to NBC. "A.D. follows the first ten chapters of the Book of Acts exploring the aftermath of Christ's death and its profound impact on his disciples, his mother Mary, and key political and religious leaders of the era."
Viewers will witness "disciples struggle to survive and share their beliefs, guiding us from the sorrow of Christ's ultimate sacrifice to the awe-inspiring wonder of the Resurrection and beyond."
"Last year when Mark Burnett was launching 'The Bible' on cable, I told him, without hesitation, that if he wanted to tell more of the story, we'd love to do it at NBC," NBC Entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt said in an earlier press release.
"We are firmly in the 'event' business and nothing has more event potential than A.D. as it continues immediately after 'The Bible' ended," he explained. "The heft of a broadcast network, combined with the promotional arms of NBCUniversal and Comcast, will push this miniseries to a mass audience. We value our relationship with Mark and Roma and know that no one could bring this story to life better than them."
In addition to Di Pace, the cast of "A.D's" includes Babou Ceesay, Chipo Chung, Denver Isaac, Nicholas Pinnock, Fraser Ayers, Peter de Jersey, Greta Scacchi and George Georgiou.
"You might think the story is over at the Crucifixion, but as most of the world knows, that was only the beginning," said NBC Entertainment president Jennifer Salke in an earlier statement. "Everyone's lives were completely altered in an instant and the immediate aftermath of Christ's death had an impact on his disciples, his mother Mary, and key political and religious leaders of the time.
"In the first episode alone you see the last moments of the Crucifixion, Judas taking his own life after betraying Christ, Peter denying Jesus three times, and then the miracle of the Resurrection," she added. "We feel so fortunate to be in the hands of Mark and Roma, who have proven that the greatest story ever told is still just that."
Check out the trailer for "A.D.," which will air on Easter Sunday, April 5, 2015 on NBC.