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In 2017, the producers of the Netflix series "Messiah" issued a statement about their show, which had not been cast or shot yet: "'Messiah' is a series that will have the audience asking big questions. What if someone showed up in 2018 amid strange occurrences and was thought to be the Messiah? What would society do? How would the media cover him? Would millions simply quit work? Could governments collapse? [...] It's a series that could change everything."

"Messiah" debuted on January 1, 2020, and with the benefit of hindsight, it's safe to say the show did not, despite the lofty hopes of its creators, "change everything." The series, which starred Mehdi Dehbi as a controversial figure who may or may not be a new messiah in the modern era and Michelle Monaghan as a CIA officer investigating his rise, failed to make waves upon its release; "Messiah" was canceled less than four...

A powerful statement of intent from first time feature director Sofia Alaoui, and deserving winner of the New Visions award at Sundance, Animalia opens with a series of gorgeously framed symmetrical shots, exterior and then interior, which recall the work of Stanley Kubrick. They’re beautiful partly because of the house they depict, an elegant lakeside Moroccan mansion, but as we’ll soon see, they provide only a taster of what Alaoui can do. They depict a life not only wealthy but perfectly ordered, every detail where it is intended to be. Only Itto (Oumaima Barid) is out of place, attracting scowls from her mother in law when she is caught in the kitchen, chatting to the servants, getting raw meat on the sleeves of her orange silk robe.

“She wanted you to marry a rich girl, not a hick, a nobody’s daughter,” she later laments to her husband,...

"Don't let fear stop you." Dark Star Pictures has revealed the official US trailer for an impressive indie sci-fi mystery thriller titled Animalia, a French-Moroccan production about a pregnant woman in Morocco. This initially premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival last year and it also played at plenty of other major festivals throughout 2023, including Vancouver and London. The film won a Sundance New Vision award and brings "the arrival of a new, freshly original cinematic voice" in French-Moroccan director Sofia Alaoui. As she nears the end of her pregnancy, Itto and her in-laws find their lives changed by a supernatural event. A story about a woman who discoverers emancipation when aliens arrive in Morocco. That's the big pitch, though there's also an intriguing psychological thriller angle to this story as well. Starring Oumaïma Barid as Itto, Mehdi Dehbi, Fouad Oughaou, and Souad Khouyi. It's arriving on VOD to watch next...

Film Clinic is set to dominate the lineup of the highly anticipated third edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival — which is scheduled to run from Nov 30, 2023 – Sat, Dec 9, 2023 — with the prolific production and distribution shingle boasting four of its titles in the festival. Coming in first in Arab Spectacular section titles Hajjan and Four Daughters. In Competition — Backstage and showcasing in the Festival Favourites section — Animalia.

Hajjan

Abu Bakr Shawky's latest Hajjan, produced by the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) & Film Clinic. It had its World Premiere in the Toronto International Film Festival.– It is also produced by Mohamed Hefzy and Majed Zuhair Samman, co-produced by The

Imaginarium Films' Rula Nasser, and distributed by Film Clinic Indie Distribution in the Arab world while Film Constellation has the

worldwide rights. It revolves around brothers Matar and Ghanim, who live in the endless desert of Saudi Arabia.

"Power is a double-edged sword." Indeed it is. Picturehouse has unveiled another new official UK trailer for Cairo Conspiracy, the film formerly known as Boy From Heaven, set in Egypt. This already opened in US theaters in January, and opens in UK cinemas this April. It initially premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Best Screenplay award. The story is about a devout young man named Adam, the son of a fisherman, who is offered the ultimate privilege to study at the prestigious Al-Azhar University in Cairo, the epicenter of power for the Sunni Islam religion. Shortly after his arrival in Cairo, the university's highest ranking religious leader, the Grand Imam, suddenly dies and Adam becomes a pawn in the ruthless power struggle between Eqypt's religious and political elite. The film stars Tawfeek Barhom as Adam, Fares Fares, Mohammad Bakri, Makram Khoury, Mehdi Dehbi, Moe Ayoub, Sherwan Haji,...

Animalia Review — Animalia (2023) Film Review from the 46th Annual Sundance Film Festival, a movie written and directed by Sofia Alaoui and starring Oumaïma Barid, Mehdi Dehbi, Souad Khouyi and Fouad Oughaou. Filmmaker Sofia Alaoui’s new film, Animalia, is a work of great complexity but there’s a lack of depth to the film’s ambiguous [...]

Continue reading: Film Review: Animalia: Sofia Alaoui’s Film is Compelling but its Mysterious Plot Needs More of a Resolve [Sundance 2023]...

I am of the firm belief that we are not the only forms of life out there. I don't believe that aliens have been secretly guiding humanity or anything like that — that's a conspiratorial mindset that can get really bigoted, really fast. However, I believe it's selfish to believe that humans are the only life in our vast galaxy. As to what forms these extraterrestrial beings take, that's something I'm not equipped to answer definitively. Maybe they're the little grey aliens of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" fame, or maybe they are more humanoid. Perhaps they don't have a form at all, being invisible to the naked eye, but present nonetheless.

To "Animalia" director Sofia Alaoui, aliens can be more intertwined with humanity than we might think. The French-Moroccan filmmaker's directorial debut envisions alien invasions to be personal and abstract, truly something that can't be easily comprehended. Maybe they...

In her promising debut feature, Animalia, Moroccan writer-director Sofia Alaoui doesn’t turn the global catastrophe scenario on its head as much as she flips it sideways.

The film, which makes its world premiere in Sundance, starts off on familiar enough ground, following a very pregnant young woman, Itto (photogenic newcomer Oumaïma Barid), as she’s stranded from her new husband, Amine (Mehdi Dehbi), while a mysterious supernatural catastrophe occurs right outside their country estate.

But if Animalia begins like small-scale Roland Emmerich, it ends up more like Terrence Malick, with Alaoui eschewing your typical action-packed finale and taking things in much more of a mystical direction. This, along with her keen commentary on religion, social class and the place of women in contemporary Morocco, could give the film a boost in a marketplace already crowded with lots of doomsday content.

An extension of the director’s 2020 short, So What If the Goats Die,...

"Make sure he is elected." Samuel Goldwyn Films has revealed the new US trailer for Cairo Conspiracy, the film formerly known as Boy From Heaven, set entirely in Egypt even though it's actually a Swedish production. This premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Best Screenplay award, and has since played at numerous other festivals including Zurich, Hamburg, London, Busan, Vancouver, Ghent, Mill Valley. The story follows Adam, the son of a fisherman, who is offered the ultimate privilege to study at the prestigious Al-Azhar University in Cairo, the epicenter of power of Sunni Islam. Shortly after his arrival in Cairo, the university's highest ranking religious leader, the Grand Imam, suddenly dies and Adam soon becomes a pawn in a ruthless power struggle between Eqypt's religious and political elite. The film stars Tawfeek Barhom as Adam, Fares Fares, Mohammad Bakri, Makram Khoury, Mehdi Dehbi, Moe Ayoub, Sherwan Haji,...

"Make sure he is elected." Memento International has revealed an official trailer for an acclaimed film titled Boy From Heaven, set entirely in Egypt even though it's actually a Swedish production. This premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Best Screenplay award, and has since played at numerous other festivals including the Zurich, Hamburg, London, Busan, Vancouver, Ghent, Mill Valley Film Fests. On the first day back after summer, the grand imam collapses and dies in front of students at a religious university in Cairo. This marks the start of a ruthless battle for influence to take his place. The film is about corruption and how even the most holy organization, the prestigious Al-Azhar University located in Cairo, is susceptible to horrible power play dynamics. The film stars Tawfeek Barhom as Adam, Fares Fares, Mohammad Bakri, Makram Khoury, Mehdi Dehbi, Moe Ayoub, Sherwan Haji, and Ahmed Lassaoui.

Sometimes, the worst thing that can happen to a humble person is a sudden elevation to the realm of the elite. Like Charlie Bucket finding a golden ticket, in “Boy from Heaven,” Adam (Tawfeek Barhom) initially cannot believe his good fortune when he receives an acceptance letter to Al-Azhar, a Cairo university that functions as the height of Sunni Islamic power. Adam is an exceptionally bright young man from a small fishing village, living under the thumb of his god-fearing, corporal-punishment-administering father. After his village imam hands over the acceptance letter, he is entranced. At night, in the room he shares with two brothers, he reads it again, illuminating the thick cream paper by a phone light held under the bedclothes.

Barhom starts out excellently as the watchful Adam, a careful young man whose arc involves being shoved into a moral quagmire with no protections. “Your soul is still pure.

Elections, as everyone knows, are too important to be left up to chance, and so the world is constantly inventing ways to ensure their outcome in advance. In Egypt, when it comes to the choice of a new grand imam — a lifetime appointment, whose fatwas impact national law — the process doesn’t even pretend to be democratic: The successful candidate is selected from a small Supreme Council of Scholars, with considerations the outside world will never know. But we can wonder, which is where Swedish-Egyptian filmmaker Tarik Saleh comes in, imagining the equivalent of a John Grisham thriller set inside Cairo’s world-famous Al-Azhar University.

Banned from Egypt since 2017’s “The Nile Hilton Incident,” the director may well have nothing to lose by implicating the Egyptian government in a conspiracy to fill the country’s highest religious position with the candidate of the president’s choosing — the equivalent of suggesting...

It’s early days at the Cannes Film Festival, so awards prognostication might seem a little premature, but still, it’s hard to imagine that the phenomenal performance given by Swedish-Lebanese actor Fares Fares in Tarik Saleh’s searing political thriller Boy from Heaven will go entirely unnoticed by this year’s jury. Topping the work he did in Saleh’s 2017 Sundance hit The Nile Hilton Incident, Fares commands the screen from the moment he arrives, playing a character whose disheveled appearance conceals a ruthless efficiency, a laser-focused mind and an entirely pragmatic concept of morality.

It’s funny that Boy from Heaven should premiere after James Gray’s Armageddon Time, another film about a young man’s rude awakening and another film that ruminates on the way fate is shaped — or dictated — by race and class. But Saleh’s film throws religion into that already-volatile mix, and while it...

Paris-based company had a high-profile 2021 with titles including ’Compartment No. 6’ and ‘My Sunny Maad’.

Paris-based Totem Films will launch a quartet of first features with 2022 festival hopes at the EFM next week (February 10-17), including directorial debuts by The Happiest Day In The Life Of Olli Mäki co-writer Mikko Myllylahti and Italian actress Jasmine Trinca.

The company’s 2021 slate enjoyed a buzzy festival run, led by Cannes Grand Prix winner Compartment No. 6 as well as Berlinale best documentary winner We, Berlin Competition title Ballad Of A White Cow and My SunnyMaad, which took the jury award at Annecy.

Finnish...

Exclusive: Here’s the first look at Prisoners Of Paradise, a period romance starring Ellie Bamber (The Trial Of Christine Keeler) and Mehdi Dehbi (Messiah) that is now shooting in Mauritius.

Set on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius in 1925, the pic is a coming-of-age love story following a 17-year-old orphan, Lucy, who is sent from England to live under the guardianship of her uncle. Once there, she finds herself as odds with the ways of his world and his plans of an arranged marriage for her. When Lucy meets Krishna, a passionate young man working as a labourer on a nearby plantation with dreams of one day owning his own land, they both fall deeply and dangerously in love. The cast also includes JJ Feild, Amy Beth Hayes, Rupert Penry-Jones, Rhona Mitra and Edward Akrout.

Mitch Jenkins is directing from a screenplay by Alan Govinden and Jason Wingard. Govinden...

Exclusive: The Last Ship and Underworld: Rise of the Lycans star has boarded Mitch Jenkins’ independent feature Prisoners of Paradise.

Set in 1925, Prisoners of Paradise follows 17-year-old orphan Lucy Gladwell (Ellie Bamber) who is sent from England to live under the guardianship of her uncle George Huyton (Rupert Penry-Jones). Initially seduced by the sumptuous beauty of her surroundings, Lucy finds herself at odds with her violent uncle who is not the benign influence he pretends to be, and she soon falls in love with Krishna (Mehdi Dehbi), a laborer working on a nearby plantation. The production is aiming to shoot from late September on location in Mauritius.

Mitra will play the role of ‘Betty’, Lucy’s (Bamber) aunt.

Jenkins is directing from an original screenplay by Alan Govinden and Jason Wingard.

Most recently, Mitra wrapped the NBC pilot Debris opposite Jonathan Tucker, which was recently ordered to series at NBC...

Exclusive: Nocturnal Animals and The Trial Of Christine Keeler star Ellie Bamber, Messiah and London Has Fallen actor Mehdi Dehbi and The Strain and Vita & Virginia star Rupert Penry-Jones are set to lead cast in feature Prisoners Of Paradise, which is aiming to shoot from late September on location in Mauritius.

The coming-of-age love story, set in 1925, follows 17-year-old orphan Lucy Gladwell (Bamber) who is sent from England to live under the guardianship of her uncle George Huyton (Penry-Jones). Initially seduced by the sumptuous beauty of her surroundings, Lucy finds herself at odds with her violent uncle who is not the benign influence he pretends to be, and she soon falls in love with Krishna (Dehbi), a labourer working on a nearby plantation.

Edward Akrout (Killing Eve) is also among cast. Mitch Jenkins (The Show) will direct from an original screenplay by Alan Govinden and Jason Wingard. Producer is Alan...

In a Gold Derby exclusive, we have learned the category placements of the key Emmy Awards contenders for Netflix. For this season, the streamer has returning hits “After Life” (Ricky Gervais), “Black Mirror” (Andrew Scott), “The Crown”, “Dead to Me”, “Glow” (Alison Brie), “The Kominsky Method” (Michael Douglas), “Ozark”, “Stranger Things” (Winona Ryder) as part of their 2020 campaign. Newcomers include “#blackAF” (Kenya Barris), “Living with Yourself” (Paul Rudd), “The Politician”, “Space Force” (Steve Carell) and “The Witcher” (Henry Cavill).

Below, the list of Netflix lead, supporting and guest submissions for their comedy, drama, TV movies and limited series. We’ve also got the full list of titles for variety, reality and other major genres. More names might be added by the studio on the final Emmy ballot. Also note that performers not included on this list may well be submitted by their personal reps.

13 Reasons Why

Drama Series

Drama Actor...

Netflix is being sued by Geo Group, a real estate investment trust, over what it calls “defamatory” depictions of its private prisons in the streamer’s “Messiah” series.

The thriller series follows a mysterious messianic figure, Al Massih (Mehdi Dehbi), who attracts suspicion from the CIA after he begins to gain a large global following by performing miracles. In episodes three and four, the character is detained in a Texas immigration facility in which certain shots depict the Geo Group logo.

In the lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Florida district court, accuses Netflix of misappropriating the group’s trademarks on its immigrant detention facility, guards and vehicles, therefore falsely associating it with the production’s depictions of immigrants crowded into rooms without proper care.

Also Read: Adam Sandler Nearly Got Choked Out During the Filming of 'Uncut Gems'

“Unlike in ‘Messiah,’ Geo does not house people in overcrowded rooms with chain-link cages at its Facilities,...

Network: Netflix

Episodes: 10 (hour)

Seasons: One

TV show dates: January 1, 2020 -- January 1, 2020

Series status: Cancelled

Performers include: Mehdi Dehbi, Tomer Sisley, Michelle Monaghan, John Ortiz, Melinda Page Hamilton, Stefania Lavie Owen, Jane Adams, Sayyid El Alami, Fares Landoulsi, and Wil Traval.

TV show description:

A suspense thriller TV series, Messiah was created by Michael Petroni. The show chronicles the modern world's reaction to a man who first appears in the Middle East. Al-Massih (Dehbi) creates a groundswell of international followers around him when he claims to be the eschatological return of 'Isa (Jesus). Has he been sent by God or, is he a dangerous fraud who's bent on dismantling the world's geopolitical order?

Read More…...

Messiah‘s prayers were not answered: Netflix has cancelled the religion-themed thriller after just one season, according to our sister site Variety.

The news was first reported by series co-star Wil Traval, who announced on Instagram: “It’s a very sad day today. I have just received news from Netflix that there will be no Season 2 of Messiah. I wanted to say to all the fans thank you for your support and love. I wish things were different.”

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Netflix has opted not to reenew provocative drama Messiah for a second season. Series co-star Wil Traval revealed the news on Instagram Thursday.

“It’s a very sad day today,” he wrote. “I have just received news from Netflix that there will be no season 2 of #messiah I wanted to say to all the fans thank you for your support and love. I wish things were different.”

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Created by Michael Petroni and produced by The Bible‘s Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, Messiah explored the lines among religion, faith and politics. When a CIA officer investigates a man — referred to by some as Al-Masih (Mehdi Dehbi) — attracting international attention and followers through acts of public disruption, she embarks on a global,...

Netflix has canceled “Messiah” after one season, Variety has confirmed.

Series star Wil Traval shared the news on Instagram, writing, “It’s a very sad day today. I have just received news from Netflix that there will be no season 2 of #messiah I wanted to say to all the fans thank you for your support and love. I wish things were different.”

According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, Netflix did not feel confident producing a show that required so many international locations given the current state of things with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The series followed CIA officer Eva Geller (Michelle Monaghan), who uncovers information about a man (Mehdi Dehbi) gaining international attention through acts of public disruption. As he continues to cultivate followers who allege he’s performing miracles, the global media become increasingly beguiled by this charismatic figure.

The series also starred Tomer Sisley, John Ortiz,...

“Messiah” has been canceled after only one season on Netflix.

“It’s a very sad day today,” wrote actor Wil Traval, who played Will Mathers on the drama series, wrote in an Instagram post Wednesday. “I have just received news from Netflix that there will be no season 2 of #messiah I wanted to say to all the fans thank you for your support and love. I wish things were different.”

Netflix confirmed the cancellation Thursday.

A person with knowledge of the situation told TheWrap that one of the factors that went into the decision was the concern that producing the show in a timely fashion wouldn’t be prudent during the coronavirus pandemic, given its large international cast and overseas filming locations.

Also Read: Why Netflix Likely Won't Need to Throttle Service in the Us

The 10-episode drama series starred Mehdi Dehbi as Al-Massih, a mysterious man who emerges from...

Is the mystery solved in the first season of the Messiah TV show on Netflix? As we all know, the Nielsen ratings typically play a big role in determining whether a TV show like Messiah is cancelled or renewed for season two. Netflix and other streaming platforms, however, collect their own data. If you've been watching this TV series, we'd love to know how you feel about the first season episodes of Messiah here. *Status update below.

A Netflix suspense thriller TV series, Messiah 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. The show chronicles the modern world's reaction to a man who first appears in the Middle East. Al-Massih (Dehbi) creates a groundswell of international followers around him when he claims to be the...

Messiah will not be rising at Netflix again.

The streamer has canceled the thriller after just one season, according to series star Wil Traval.

"It's a very sad day today," he said via Instagram on Wednesday.

"I have just received news from Netflix that there will be no Season 2 of #messiah."

He continued, "I wanted to say to all the fans thank you for the support and love."

"I wish things were different," he said in conclusion.

The series focused on CIA officer Eva Geller (Michelle Monaghan), who uncovers information about a man (Mehdi Dehbi) gaining international attention through acts of public disruption, As such, she begins an investigation into his origins.

As he continues to cultivate followers who allege he's performing miracles, the global media become increasingly beguiled by this charismatic figure.

Geller must race to unravel the mystery of whether he really is a divine entity or a...

Is Al-Masih the savior that his followers believe him to be? It looks like we may never know. Netflix has cancelled the Messiah TV show so there won't be a second season of the series.

Streaming on the Netflix subscription service, Messiah 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. The show chronicles the modern world's reaction to a man who first appears in the Middle East. Al-Massih (Dehbi) creates a groundswell of international followers around him when he claims to be the eschatological return of 'Isa (Jesus). Has he been sent by God or, is he a dangerous fraud who's bent on dismantling the world's geopolitical order?.

The first season of 10 episodes was released on January 1st. While the show's season...

Created by Michael Petroni, the Netflix original series Messiah follows CIA officer Eva Geller (Michelle Monaghan), as she uncovers information about a man (Mehdi Dehbi) who’s gaining attention all over the world because some believe him to be the Messiah. As Eva digs deeper into the origins of Al-Masih and her sole focus becomes determining whether he’s really a divine entity or a con man, his followers claim him to be a miracle worker. At the Los Angeles press day for the new series, Collider got the opportunity to sit down and chat 1-on-1 with …...

Created by Michael Petroni, the Netflix original series Messiah follows CIA officer Eva Geller (Michelle Monaghan), as she uncovers information about a man (Mehdi Dehbi) who’s gaining attention all over the world because some believe him to be the Messiah. As Eva digs deeper into the origins of Al-Masih and her sole focus becomes determining whether he’s really a divine entity or a con man, his followers claim him to be a miracle worker. At the Los Angeles press day for the new series, Collider got the opportunity to sit down and chat with show creator Michael …...

Created by Michael Petroni, the Netflix original series Messiah follows CIA officer Eva Geller (Michelle Monaghan), as she uncovers information about a man (Mehdi Dehbi) who’s gaining attention all over the world because some believe him to be the Messiah. As Eva digs deeper into the origins of Al-Masih and her sole focus becomes determining whether he’s really a divine entity or a con man, his followers claim him to be a miracle worker. At the Los Angeles press day for the new series, Collider got the opportunity to sit down and chat 1-on-1 with …...

Created by Michael Petroni, the Netflix original series Messiah follows CIA officer Eva Geller (Michelle Monaghan), as she uncovers information about a man (Mehdi Dehbi) who’s gaining attention all over the world because some believe him to be the Messiah. As Eva digs deeper into the origins of Al-Masih and her sole focus becomes determining whether he’s really a divine entity or a con man, his followers claim him to be a miracle worker. At the Los Angeles press day for the new series, Collider got the opportunity to sit down and chat 1-on-1 with …...

Vulture Watch

Is Al-Massih who he claims to be? Has the Messiah TV show been cancelled or renewed for a second season on Netflix? The television vulture is watching all the latest cancellation and renewal news, so this page is the place to track the status of Messiah, season two. Bookmark it, or subscribe for the latest updates. Remember, the television vulture is watching your shows. Are you?  

What's This TV Show About?

Streaming on the Netflix subscription service, Messiah 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. The show chronicles the modern world's reaction to a man who first appears in the Middle East. Al-Massih (Dehbi) creates a groundswell of international followers around him when he claims to be the eschatological return of 'Isa (Jesus). Has he...

Belgian actor Mehdi Dehbi is best known for appearing in “Mary Queen of Scots” and “A Most Wanted Man” on the big screen, as well as stage work in plays including “Romeo and Juliet” and “The Just Assassins.” But his very first role, at age 3, was playing Jesus when his parochial school staged scenes from the Bible. Now, he has brought his career full-circle, in a sense, by taking on the titular role in Netflix’s “Messiah,” in which his character is believed by some to be to be a savior, while others think he is a con artist.

How did you tackle the uncertainty around whether or not your character, Al-Masih, was a true messiah or if he was a manipulator?

Whatever people want to project on him or on the story or on the show is part of the show itself. The show doesn’t want to impose...

The line between miracles and madness is a thin one in the first trailer for Netflix's new geopolitical thriller. Led by Pixels actress Michelle Monaghan, Messiah follows CIA agent Eva Geller as she encounters a mysterious figure (Mehdi Dehbi) who quickly gains global attention for his "miracles." While his cult-like followers see his godly actions as the work of a higher figure, Geller sees them as acts of public disruption and discovers that this Messiah may really be a sinister con artist with plans to dismantle the global balance of power.

But Geller is up against more than the Messiah's zen-like presence, razor-sharp cheekbones, and flowing locks; the mysterious stranger quickly converts people to his cause with several incredible acts, including allegedly saving a young woman (Stefania Lavie Owen) from a violent tornado. As Geller searches for the truth behind the stranger's intentions, the tangled web of lies and...

Messiah, one of the many new series hitting Netflix to ring in the new year, is filled with twists and turns. At its core, it is a thriller with a central mystery. 

It follows the world's reaction to a man who arrives in the Middle East, claiming to be the eschatological return of 'Isa (Jesus) or the Mahdi. It's a thrilling hook, but the end result is a narrative that doesn't hit the ground running. 

There's an air of mystery surrounding Al-Massih as he seemingly makes the impossible possible, but the storyline never really derives from that. 

His first big trick is to cross 2,000 Palestinian Syrians over the border of Israel, and that comes with some positives and negatives, that propel the story forward. 

Instead of giving answers, however, we get more miracles thrown our way, making the series feel purposefully ambiguous to keep viewers guessing about what is really happening.

Two days before “Messiah” is set to premiere on Netflix, the Royal Film Commission of Jordan is asking the streamer to keep the thriller-with-religious-implications off of its Jordanian platform.

The Rfc made the demand in a statement posted to its website Monday.

“Having been made aware of its content, the Rfc has asked officially the management of Netflix to refrain from streaming it in Jordan,” the statement said.

Also Read: Netflix's 'Messiah' Star Mehdi Dehbi Says His First Role Ever Was Baby Jesus (Video)

“Messiah,” which is set to premiere globally on Netflix Jan. 1, follows a mysterious man known to some as Al-Massih (Mehdi Dehbi) who amasses a large and dedicated following through public acts of disruption. This attracts the attention of CIA agent Eva Geller (Michelle Monaghan), who makes it her mission to figure out whether he really is the second coming of Christ — or if he...

Two days before Messiah is to debut on Netflix around the world, The Royal Film Commission of Jordan has requested that the provocative drama is not shown in the predominantly Muslim country. The Jordanian government organization’s Managing Director, Mohannad al-Bakr, held a press conference with local media Monday in Amman to make the announcement, which also was posted on the Rfc’s Web site.

“Having been made aware of its content, the Rfc has asked officially the management of Netflix to refrain from streaming it in Jordan,” the commission’s statement read.

A spokesperson for Netflix indicated that they have not received a formal legal request to remove the series from the streamer’s Jordanian service.

Created by Michael Petroni and produced by The Bible‘s Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, Messiah explores the lines among religion, faith and politics. When a CIA officer investigates a man — referred to...

Making a TV show whose plot hinges on miracles is a challenging thing. Perceived miracles are startling in our world because of their divergence from universally accepted reality; events diverging, instead, from a reality a writer is creating are less mind-blowing. It takes a carefully balanced, well-constructed world in order to make viewers take the extraordinary on faith.

“Messiah” lacks that. This new Netflix drama, produced by, among others, “Survivor’s” Mark Burnett and “Touched by an Angel” star Roma Downey, depicts a world apparently badly hungry for something in which to believe, as a mysterious young man (Mehdi Dehbi) rises to near-instant repute and cult-leader status for various pieces of performance art-slash-protest-slash… miracles, maybe.

That’s at least what his many acolytes insist, and one of the many incredulous aspects of “Messiah” is just how quickly “Al-Massih” brings into the fold both individuals and all of society. After beginning...

Mehdi Dehbi knows that people will probably compare him to Jesus when they see him in “Messiah,” out Jan. 1 on Netflix.

In the 10-episode drama series, Dehbi stars as Al-Massih, a mysterious man who emerges from Syria and quickly amasses a group of dedicated followers who believe him to be the second coming. Michelle Monaghan stars opposite him as Eva Geller, a CIA officer hell-bent on finding out who he really is.

“It’s probably because Jesus is the most known figure in the whole wide world, that people would make the assumption that I’m looking to look like him,” Dehbi said in an on-camera interview with TheWrap, which you can watch above. “It was never a goal to look like him or anybody else.”

Also Read: Hollywood Experts' Predictions for 2020: Netflix Gets Acquired, Apple TV+ Flops

Netflix

To be clear, the Netflix series has no religious affiliation.

Welcome back to Tune In: our weekly newsletter offering a guide to the best of the week’s TV.

Each week, Variety’s TV team combs through the week’s schedule, selecting our picks of what to watch and when/how to watch them. This week, “Deputy” premieres on Fox, and Ricky Gervais hosts the 2020 Golden Globes on NBC.

“New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest,” ABC, Tuesday, 8 p.m.

ABC’s annual New Year’s Eve celebration returns with Lucy Hale joining Ryan Seacrest live from Times Square. Performers will include the likes of Post Malone and K-pop megastars Bts, with the Jonas Brothers performing in Miami and “Pose” breakout star Billy Porter hosting the New Orleans-based festivities.

“Messiah,” Netflix, Wednesday

This new series centers around CIA officer Eva Geller (Michelle Monaghan), who uncovers information about a man (Mehdi Dehbi) gains international and cultivate followers by performing alleged miracles.

Created by Michael Petroni, the Netflix original series Messiah follows CIA officer Eva Geller (Michelle Monaghan), as she uncovers information about a man (Mehdi Dehbi) who’s gaining attention all over the world because some believe him to be the Messiah. As Eva digs deeper into the origins of Al-Masih and her sole focus becomes determining whether he’s really a divine entity or a con man, his followers claim him to be a miracle worker. At the Los Angeles press day for the new series, Collider got the opportunity to sit down and chat 1-on-1 with …...

Another month, another smattering of new Netflix titles to sift through. And it seems the online streamer is kicking off 2020 with a host of juicy horror movies and TV shows.

First thing’s first: there’s a number of big-name titles leaving the service next month, including Panic Room, Grease, American Pyscho, and the Spartacus series. That’s disappointing, to be sure, but among the January 2020 titles are news installments of Grace and Frankie and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, along with all three Lord of the Rings movies and the Kill Bill films. And it doesn’t stop there.

We’ve compiled the full list below, but a special mention must go to two particularly exciting horror additions: Sam Raimi classic The Evil Dead and Tremors.

Jan. 1

Ghost Stories (Netflix Film): Short films from Indian directors behind “Bombay Talkies” and “Lust Stories.”

Good Girls: Season 2

Messiah (Netflix Original...

Netflix has released its list of everything new coming to the streaming service in January, and everything that’s leaving at the end of the month.

Of all the Netflix originals to look forward to next month, “Messiah,” out Jan. 1, is not to be missed. It follows CIA officer Eva Geller (Michelle Monaghan), who uncovers information about a man (Mehdi Dehbi) who claims to be the son of God. As he gains followers who believe he is the Second Coming, Geller races find out whether he really is a divine entity — or just a con artist set on dismantling the world’s geopolitical order

Other Netflix originals to look out for include “Anne With an E: The Final Season,” a modern retelling of “Anne of Green Gables,” out Jan. 3, “Cheer,” out Jan. 8, a cheerleading documentary series from the director of “Last Chance U,” Season 6 of “Grace and Frankie,” out Jan.

In today’s TV news roundup, Ali Wong gets two new Netflix comedy specials and Bet releases the first look at Lena Waithe’s “Twenties” series.

Casting

Michael Beach (“ER”), Anne-Marie Johnson (“For The People”) and Kellee Stewart (“Guess Who”) have been cast in Ava DuVernay’s romantic anthology series, “Cherish The Day.” They join Xosha Roquemore, Alano Miller and Emmy-award winner Cicely Tyson. Also, Blitz Bazawule, Aurora Guerrero (“13 Reasons Why”) and Deborah Kampmeier (“Queen Sugar”) join Tanya Hamilton (“Vampire Diaries”) as directors.

Joel McHale will return to host the 2020 second season of ABC’s “Card Sharks,” a competition series with two players facing off in a head-to-head elimination race. McHale is repped by UTA and Ziffren Brittenham Llp. Scott St. John and Jennifer Mullin executive produce “Card Sharks.”

Juan Pablo Raba (“Narcos”), Adriana Paz, Kristyan Ferrer, Octavio Pisano, Cynthia Kaye McWilliams (“Nashville”) and Julio Cedillo (“Sicario”) have been...

How would the world react if a modern-day Jesus figure emerged in the era of social media? That’s the basic gist of Messiah, a new Netflix series that stars Michelle Monaghan (Eagle Eye) as a CIA officer investigating the rise of a controversial figure (Mehdi Dehbi) who may be scamming thousands into following him – or […]

The post ‘Messiah’ Trailer: Michelle Monaghan Investigates a Modern-Day Christ Figure (Or Is He a Con Artist?) appeared first on /Film.

Netflix is dialing up the intrigue on New Year's Day thanks to new thriller, Messiah.

When CIA officer Eva Geller (Michelle Monaghan) uncovers information about a man (Mehdi Dehbi) gaining international attention through acts of public disruption, she begins an investigation into his origins.

As he continues to cultivate followers who allege he's performing miracles, the global media become increasingly beguiled by this charismatic figure.

Geller must race to unravel the mystery of whether he really is a divine entity or a deceptive con artist capable of dismantling the world’s geopolitical order.

As the story unfolds, multiple perspectives are interwoven including that of an Israeli intelligence officer (Tomer Sisley), a Texas preacher (John Ortiz) and his daughter (Stefania Lavie Owen), a Palestinian refugee (Sayyid El Alami) and the journalist (Jane Adams) who covers the story.

The series also stars Melinda Page Hamilton, Wil Traval, Fares Landoulsi, Dermot Mulroney and Beau Bridges.

Netflix has released the trailer and first-look images for its upcoming thriller series “Messiah,” which opens up an interesting debate as to how today’s society would react to a potential Second Coming in the age of social media.

Out Jan. 1, “Messiah” stars Michelle Monaghan as CIA officer Eva Geller and Mehdi Dehbi as Al-Masih, a man who believes he is the son of God. In the trailer, which you can watch above, officer Geller is faced with the task of determining the man’s motives — is he genuine, or could he wreak havoc on a global scale?

Here’s Netflix’s official logline:

When CIA officer Eva Geller (Michelle Monaghan) uncovers information about a man (Mehdi Dehbi) gaining international attention through acts of public disruption, she begins an investigation into his origins. As he continues to cultivate followers who allege he’s performing miracles, the global media become increasingly beguiled by this charismatic figure.

Exclusive: Melinda Page Hamilton, Stefania Lavie Owen, Jane Adams, Sayyid El Alami, Fares Landousil and Wil Traval round out the series-regular cast of Messiah, Netflix’s series from writer Michael Petroni (The Book Thief) and producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey.

Barbara Eve Harris, Iqbal Theba, Emily Kinney, Jackson Hurst and Nicole Rose Scimeca are set recur on the 10-episode straight-to-series drama. They all join previously announced regulars Michelle Monaghan, John Ortiz, Tomer Sisley and Mehdi Dehbi

Created by Petroni, Messiah explores the lines among religion, faith and politics as told from multiple points of view. It chronicles the modern world’s reaction to al-Masih (Dehbi), a man who first appears in the Middle East, creating a groundswell of followers around him claiming he is the Messiah. Is he sent from God, or is he a dangerous fraud bent on dismantling the world’s geopolitical order?

Hamilton is Anna Iguero,...

Michelle Monaghan has joined the upcoming Netflix series “Messiah” in a lead role, Variety has confirmed.

The 10-episode series chronicles the world’s reaction to a man (Mehdi Dehbi) who emerges from the Middle East creating a groundswell of followers who claim he is sent from God. Other people question whether he is what they say he is or rather a dangerous fraud bent on dismantling the world’s geopolitical order, causing civil havoc as he beguiles the world’s media and its audience. The series is told from multiple viewpoints, including a Us Intelligence agent, a Palestinian refugee, an Israeli Shin Bet officer, and a Latino preacher and his daughter.

Monaghan will play Eva Geller, a highly specialized Us intelligence officer who pits her wits and years of experience against Al-Masih (Dehbi). The character is described as whip smart, tenacious and determined to prove she is right, Eva literally...

Former True Detective and The Path star Michelle Monaghan has been tapped as the female lead opposite Mehdi Dehbi in Netflix’s drama series Messiah, from producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey.

Created by Michael Petroni (The Book Thief), Messiah is described as a 21st Century political thriller that chronicles the world’s reaction to a man, Al-Masih (Dehbi), who emerges from the Middle East claiming he is sent from God and creates a groundswell of followers. Is he what they say he is or is he a dangerous fraud bent on dismantling the world’s geopolitical order, causing civil havoc as he beguiles the world’s media and its audience? At its core, Messiah is a series that challenges us to examine what we believe and who we are.

Monaghan will play Eva Geller, a highly specialized Us intelligence officer who pits her wits and years of experience against...