NBC has formally given the green light to a project that is a sequel to History’s hit miniseries "The Bible." Deadline.com reports that the network is pushing ahead with "A.D.," a 12-hour project from Mark Burnett and Roma Downey.

"The project, produced by LightWorkers Media with Burnett, Downey and Richard Bedser serving as executive producers, is eyeing a premiere in spring 2015," the report notes.

Said NBC Chairman Robert Greenblatt: “Last year when Mark Burnett was launching ‘The Bible’ on cable, I told him, without hesitation, that if he wanted to tell more of the story, we’d love to do it at NBC. We are firmly in the ‘event’ business and nothing has more event potential than ‘A.D.’ as it continues immediately after the ‘The Bible’ ended.”

The report adds: "The order for ‘A.D.,’ which will be written by BAFTA nominee Simon Block (‘The Shooting Of Thomas Hurndall’), comes a week after NBC greenlighted its first miniseries under the network’s current longform push — the four-hour ‘Rosemary’s Baby.’ This also marks the second miniseries order for Burnett and Downey in the past week after CBS picked up ‘The Dovekeepers,’ which also has religious overtones."

NBC Entertainment President Jennifer Salke commented: “You might think the story is over at the Crucifixion, but as most of the world knows, that was only the beginning. Everyone’s lives were completely altered in an instant and the immediate aftermath of Christ’s death had an impact on his disciples, his mother Mary, and key political and religious leaders of the time. In the first episode alone you see the last moments of the Crucifixion, Judas taking his own life after betraying Christ, Peter denying Jesus three times, and then the miracle of the Resurrection.”

Roma Downey and Mark Burnett