Messiah (American TV series)
Messiah is an American thriller streaming television series created by Michael Petroni. The first season consists of ten episodes, which were released on Netflix on January 1, 2020. The series stars Mehdi Dehbi, Tomer Sisley, Michelle Monaghan, John Ortiz, Melinda Page Hamilton, Stefania LaVie Owen, Jane Adams, Sayyid El Alami, Fares Landoulsi, and Wil Traval. In March 2020, the series was canceled after one season. Premise. The series focuses on the modern world's reaction to a man – who first appears in the Middle East – whose followers claim him to be the eschatological return of ʿĪsā  ("Jesus" in Arabic). His sudden appearance and apparent miracles spark a growing international following, casting doubts around who he really is, a case investigated by a CIA officer. Production. Development. On November 17, 2017, it was announced that Netflix had given the production a series order for a first season consisting of ten episodes. The series was created by Michael Petroni who is also credited as an executive producer and showrunner of the series. Additional executive producers include Andrew Deane, James McTeigue, Mark Burnett and Roma Downey. Production companies involved with the series include Industry Entertainment and LightWorkers Media. On  March 26, 2020, Netflix canceled the series after one season. Casting. In January 2018, it was announced that John Ortiz, Tomer Sisley and Mehdi Dehbi would star in the series. In May 2018, it was announced that Michelle Monaghan had been cast in a starring role. In June 2018, it was reported that Melinda Page Hamilton, Stefania LaVie Owen, Jane Adams, Sayyid El Alami, Fares Landoulsi and Wil Traval had joined the main cast. In the same month, it was announced that Beau Bridges and Philip Baker Hall had joined the cast in a recurring capacity. Filming. Principal photography for  the first season took place in Amman, Jordan; Albuquerque, Mountainair, Estancia, Belen, Santa Fe and Clines Corners, New Mexico from June 2018 to August 2018. Release. Marketing. On December 3, 2019, the official trailer for the series was released by Netflix. Reception. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 44% approval rating for the first season, based on critic 27 reviews. The website's critical consensus states, "A promising premise and superb ensemble can't save "Messiah" from its own bland storytelling." On Metacritic, the season has a weighted average score of 46 out of 100, based on 8  critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". The trailer received negative reception from some Muslim audiences. In December 2019, it was announced in a press conference that The Royal Film Commission of Jordan requested Netflix to refrain from streaming "Messiah" in the country due to the provocative subject matter and controversial religious content covered in the series.