Netflix 'Messiah' Series Being Created by Roma Downey, Mark Burnett

By Julie Brown Patton
Roma Downey and Mark Burnett
Netflix has in the works "Messiah," a present-day Jesus drama series from writer Michael Petroni (The Book Thief) and producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, the duo behind History's hit miniseries The Bible. The project is part of Burnett and Downey's faith-based programming efforts.  Facebook

Film producers and spouses Roma Downey and Mark Burnett are working on a faith-based series for Netflix entitled "Messiah," reflecting the second coming of Jesus.

Although the new religious drama is still in developmental stages, its multiple executive producers are focusing on a basic premise, reported Variety on Thursday. The scripted series reportedly will look at how modern society and media react when a man appears in the Middle East and begins to apparently do miracles.

According to Variety, Burnett and Downey, along with Andrew Deane and writer Michael Petroni (The Book Thief) will serve as executive producers. Petroni, of ABC's "Miracles," is also the creator of the series, and will serve as an executive producer. "Miracles" investigated modern miracles for the Catholic Church.

"Messiah was one of only five projects to get a credit in the new series field, landing one of the larger incentives alongside such high-profile entries as the upcoming Seth MacFarlane dramedy for Fox ($8.34 million), the new Alan Ball drama for HBO ($7.743 million), the HBO series Sharp Objects starring Amy Adams ($5.45 million), and Dick Wolf's Law & Order: True Crime for NBC ($4.93 million)," reported deadline.com.

"Earmarked for filming in Los Angeles, Messiah -- unlike the other four new series approved, which are in various stages of pre-production and production -- has not been greenlighted and is in the development stage."

The drama is being produced in-house at Netflix.

Previously, Burnett and Downey produced multiple, faith-based projects though their faith and family film and television production company LightWorkers, such as miniseries "The Bible," "Son of God," "Dovekeepers," and "A.D.: The Bible Continues." They also recently launched, with MGM, Light TV, a new, 24-hour faith and family entertainment network in partnership with Fox stations and affiliates.

"We find it encouraging ... that the success of 'The Bible' series with a hundred million viewers showing up revealed to our industry that there is a huge audience for these kinds of projects, an audience that I think has often been under-served," Downey told The Christian Post in 2014.

  • ‘Wang Mingdao’s Diary’ reproduction highlights complexities of contemporary Chinese Christianity

    On December 9, the China Graduate School of Theology (中国神学研究院) hosted a public lecture titled “A Courageous Witness in the Times—Launch of Wang Mingdao (王明道)’s Diary.” The lecture, themed “Faith Patterns in Beijing’s Christian Churches Through the Lens of Wang Mingdao’s Diary,” featured Dr. Ni Buxiao (倪步晓), Associate Director and Assistant Professor at the Christian Faith and Chinese Culture Research Center of Alliance Bible Seminary (建道神学院), as the keynote speaker.

  • Floating library ‘Doulos Hope’ arrives in Taiwan; spreading love and hope from a former cruise ship

    Doulos Hope, the international floating book fair ship, has returned to Taiwan and is now docked at Kaohsiung Port, open to the public from December 18, 2024, to January 12, 2025. Originally built in 1991 and renovated in 2022, the ship features over 2,000 books on various topics, including faith, science, and art. It is operated by a diverse crew of 140 volunteers from 25 countries, offering services such as education, healthcare, and community outreach. The ship's mission is to spread hope and

  • Chinese Online School of Theology publishes annual ministry report: Expanding Chinese theological education through new strategies

    In the 2023-2024 academic year, New York-based Chinese Online School of Theology (COST) has seen significant development in expanding its ministry in theological education and mission outreach. They have promoted a series of new events and projects to explore different strategies that expand theological education for Chinese ministers. The following are some highlights from the 2023-2024 annual report:

  • Dr. Fenggang Yang: How foreign forces transformed traditional Chinese legal systems

    In a recent lecture to Chinese Christians, scholar Dr. Fenggang Yang (杨凤岗) gave an in-depth analysis of the historical evolution and contemporary significance of the modern legal system in Chinese society. He explored the tensions and integrations between traditional law and modern rule of law, highlighting the distinctive characteristics of China’s traditional legal system and emphasizing the role of foreign influences in introducing modern legal practices into Chinese society.

Top Stories