Get Biblical With New First Looks for 'Killing Jesus' and 'A.D. The Bible Continues' [Video]

Juan Pablo di Pace as Jesus in 'A.D. The Bible Continues'
Juan Pablo di Pace as Jesus in 'A.D. The Bible Continues'

Prepare yourselves: This Easter brings a TV miniseries smackdown of Biblical proportions. On Palm Sunday, March 29, National Geographic premieres Killing Jesus, its latest adaptation of a Bill O'Reilly bestseller (see also: Killing Lincoln and Killing Kennedy). Then on Easter Sunday, April 5, NBC launches A.D. The Bible Continues, the follow-up to Mark Burnett and Roma Downey's wildly successful 2013 History Channel series, The Bible.

Related: Easter Week Is Hopping With High-Profile TV Premieres: 'Killing Jesus,' 'The Dovekeepers,' 'A.D.'

As the title implies, Killing Jesus dramatizes the circumstances that some believe led to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, who's played by Lebanese actor Haaz Sleiman (previously seen on Nurse Jackie, Covert Affairs, and Nikita). Watch the miniseries' just-released trailer, and you'll also catch a glimpse of True Blood's Stephen Moyer as Pontius Pilate and, believe it or not, that's Kelsey Grammer underneath a crown and big, bushy beard as King Herod.

The Bible Continues, meanwhile, picks up the narrative after Christ's death and follows his disciples as they continue to spread his teachings in the face of increased Roman resistance. "It's Game of Thrones meets the Bible," Burnett promises in a new first-look featurette. Does that make Mary Magdalene the new Daenerys?