Show producers explained they wanted to show the 'human' side of Moses in new docuseries
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A new biblical miniseries brings the familiar story of Moses to millions of viewers on one streaming platform this Holy Week.
Netflix's "Testament: The Story of Moses," is a three-part docudrama which "chronicles Moses' remarkable life as a prince, prophet and more with insights from theologians and historians," the streaming giant says.
The series offers a dramatic reenactment of the famous story from the book of Exodus, like many of its predecessors. But the series also includes commentary from Christian, Muslim and Jewish teachers about Moses' role in these faith traditions.
Showrunners for the series told The Christian Post they wanted to bring Moses' "flawed" humanity to the forefront of the story, more than past Hollywood depictions have done.
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Netflix docuseries, "Testament: The Story of Moses" premieres March 27. Photo courtesy: Netflix via YouTube.
"I think of ‘Prince of Egypt’ or ‘Ten Commandments,’ and those are all great films, but it seems like Moses is almost presented as superhuman," Kelly McPherson, executive producer of the series, told the Christian media site.
"We liked the fact that he was a person with flaws; he had to overcome a lot and what was, by many accounts, a tragic childhood. We liked making him more human. He does things that are super heroic, yes, but there was a side of him that was very, very human and very, very flawed at the same time," McPherson explained.
Each 80-minute episode explores a stage of Moses' life, starting with his time as a prince in Egypt and concluding with God giving him the Ten Commandments.
The first episode, "The Prophet," begins with his birth and life as a prince in Egypt before he flees to Midian after killing an Egyptian taskmaster. The second episode, "The Plagues," recounts the supernatural plagues God punished Egypt with as Moses negotiates with Pharaoh to free the Israelites from slavery. The final episode, "The Promised Land," depicts the crossing of the Red Sea and God giving Moses the Ten Commandments.
Biblical dramas have enjoyed renewed success in recent years. (iStock)
McPherson told the CP that Moses's story still resonates today because it "transcends any one religion or set of beliefs."
"Bible stories are some of the most amazing stories ever told, and they're archetypes for all stories, even in the secular world," McPherson said. "They're the basis for so many of the stories that people tell… we wanted people to be drawn in and moved and entertained, but we also wanted the story to be inspiring."
Audiences have shown renewed interest in faith-based entertainment in the past few years, starting with the hit success of biblical drama "The Chosen."
The Angel Studios' series has achieved monumental success since it premiered in 2019, amassing over 110 million viewers across 175 different countries.
'The Chosen' star Jonathan Roumie appears in a scene from season 2. (Courtesy of 'The Chosen')
Faith-based flick "Sound of Freedom" also surpassed office expectations last summer, raking in $130 million at the box office in its first month in theaters despite negative reviews from critics.
"Jesus Revolution" director Jon Erwin recently told Fox News Digital he's seen an explosion in audiences seeking uplifting entertainment.
"There is just this incredible hunger and appetite for values and for content that draws you to the better version of yourself and your family and of life… content that restores faith in things that are truly worth believing in," Erwin said.
Fox News' Ashley Hume and Larry Fink contributed to this report.
Kristine Parks is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. Read more.
