With less than 25 days until Easter, I thought it appropriate to talk about A.D. The Bible Continues which I received last fall though due to relocating and the holidays, I am only now getting around to reviewing. I loved this just as much as I enjoyed The Bible! Highly recommend for anyone looking to add this to their collection!
***
Release Date: November 3, 2015
Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: Approx. 647 Minutes
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, continuing the greatest story ever told and exploring the exciting and inspiring events that followed the Crucifixion of Christ.
Set in a world of bloody Roman oppression, and bitter political rivalries, the struggle to control The Holy Land unfolds between the Apostles, Pontius Pilate, Caiaphas, the Zealots, and the Herod Family struggle to control The Holy Land. The series aired on NBC and was produced by LightWorkers Media with Burnett, Downey and Richard Bedser serving as executive producers.
A.D. The Bible Continues is just as fascinating as The Bible, if you’re wondering. But you already knew that. What was most exciting for me watching this was re-watching this after my bible study did an in depth study of the book of Acts. Talk about bringing a story to life. I was in awe of every minute of A.D. and found myself looking forward to certain moments that I was excited about or especially wondered how something would be portrayed.
That said, I have nothing but good things to say about A.D. The Bible Continues, I was so moved by the vision here and the execution of that vision. Many of the scenes gave me chills. Executive Producers, Roma Downey and Mark Burnett know what they’re doing and they should be very proud of the cast and crew that brought this to life. A.D. The Bible Continues is riveting and a must see for anyone who is even the least bit intrigued. And you know you are, so go ahead and get this on Blu-ray or DVD and prepare for twelve transformative hours of television as well as plenty of bonus content.
Special Features:
Continuing The Bible (5:41 minutes) – In this feature, executive producers, Roma Downey and Mark Burnett talk about the continuation of The Bible and what it took to make A.D. just as wonderful as The Bible though much more in depth storytelling as it dives deeper into a specific period in time in the bible.
Appearing in This Feature:
Executive Producers, Roma Downey, Mark Burnett
Co-Producer, Annie Macnee
Lead Pastor of Fellowship Chicago, Charles Jenkins
Author, Father Jonathan Morris (The Way of Serenity)
Pastor of Cathedral of Faith in San Jose, Ken Foreman
The Catholic Guy of SiriusXM Satellite Radio, Lino Rulli
Casting A.D. (11:20 minutes) – In this feature, the executive producers discuss casting an entirely new diverse cast from the first season of The Bible beginning with Jesus and going down the line. We also hear from the cast as they discuss what it was like being cast and what the roles meant to them. A great feature, especially if you want to find out why there was a new cast!
Appearing in This Feature:
Executive Producers, Roma Downey, Mark Burnett
Cast Members, Juan Pablo Di Pace,Vincent Regan, Joanne Whalley, Richard Coyle, Jodhi May, Adam Levy, Greta Scacchi, Chipo Chung, Emmett J. Scanlan, Pedro Lloyd Gardiner, Babou Ceesay, Denver Isaac, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Fraser Ayres
The Past Comes Alive (14:41 minutes) – In this feature, the cast and crew discuss their experience filming in the beautiful country of Morocco (with a crew of over 400), discussing a typical day on set. I was most taken aback by the executive producers being so gracious and flying Juan Pablo’s mother out to Morocco for the scene in which Juan Pablo (who plays Jesus) is being crucified. What a profound moment that must have been. This isn’t the only moving scene we go behind the scenes on. Needless to say, this special feature is definitely a must see if you’re into bonus content.
Appearing in This Feature:
Executive Producers, Roma Downey, Mark Burnett
Director of Photography, Tim Fleming
Co-Producer, Annie Macnee
Associate Producer, Mishy Turner
Cast Members, Chipo Chung, Juan Pablo Di Pace, Richard Coyle, Joanne Whalley, Vincent Regan, Jodhi May, Marama Corlett, Emmett J. Scanlan, Ken Bones, Adam Levy, Babou Ceesay, James Callis, Greta Scacchi
Touring the Sets (11:12 minutes) – This feature takes us behind the scenes of building essentially a small city in Morocco in a matter of months for filming. Executive producer, Mark Burnet even mentioned getting lost on set one time, it was so massive. From Pilate’s Palace and the streets of Jerusalem to the safe house, temple exterior and plaza, there’s plenty here to be astonished by.
Appearing in This Feature:
Executive Producers, Roma Downey, Mark Burnett
Production Designer, Alan Spalding
Lead Pastor of Fellowship Chicago, Charles Jenkins
Co-Producer, Annie Macnee
Cast Members, Vincent Regan, Richard Coyle, Pedro Lloyd Gardiner, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Adam Levy, Chipo Chung, Reece Ritchie
The Fabric of the Time (8:43 minutes) – Wondering about the wardrobe? Take a virtual walk through the wardrobe department with Costume Designer, Luciano Capozzi and hear the cast talk all about their very impressive complex attire, hair, and makeup.
Appearing in This Feature:
Costume Designer, Luciano Capozzi
Makeup Designer, Crista Schoeman
Cast Members, Juan Pablo Di Pace, Chipo Chung, Claire Cooper, Vincent Regan, James Callis, Richard Coyle, Greta Scacchi, Joanne Whalley, Farzana Dua Elahe, Marama Corlett
Recreating the Power of God (5:38 minutes) – In this feature, Visual Effects Supervisor, Martin Davison gives us a look into the special effects which I thought were great so it was fun to get a small look into the VFX world for this project.
Appearing in This Feature:
Executive Producers, Roma Downey, Mark Burnett
Visual Effects Supervisor, Martin Davison
Cast Members, Lonyo Engele
Own A.D. The Bible Continues on Blu-ray and DVD today.