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.

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