Angel’s ‘Testament’ Reimagines the Book of Acts in a Modern World
Much like a Shakespeare play reimagined for modern times, a new Angel Studios television series invites viewers to experience the book of Acts set in the 21st century -- but with the same miracles and mission that make that biblical story so transformative.
The live-action series, Testament, is set in an alternate-modern era and follows the disciples as they carry out the hope-filled movement of the risen Messiah in a world filled with hatred, conflict and fear. It's available on Angel's platforms.
Director Paul Syrstad said the goal is to help Christians and non-Christians alike re-engage with Scripture. Too often, he said, individuals fail to grasp the relevance of Scripture, blocked by its first-century context.
"Whenever I go to church, or whenever I have the privilege to preach, we talk about and we try and encourage people to look back to the early church as the blueprint, as the example on how to follow Jesus. And so there's always this invitation to imagine yourselves back then," he told Crosswalk Headlines.
"But as much as I love tunics and sandals, not everyone does. I know a lot of people who are turned off completely by tunics and sandals. And so I wanted to be able to tell the same story, but bring it into a world as close to ours as possible so people could imagine themselves a little easier as Peter or John or Mary -- these heroes of the faith, and realize actually that they're normal people, but faithful and filled with the Spirit."
Testament includes the familiar names of the book of Acts -- Paul, Barnabus, Peter and Stephen, for example -- yet set in a world two millennia later.
There is one caveat for the modern setting, though: The world of Testament has not undergone the digital revolution, meaning there are no smartphones and no computers.
"I don't think you can tell the same story with the digital revolution," he said. "You know, the wonderful first letter to the Corinthians would actually be Paul's first draft of an email that's been forwarded many times to different churches. It doesn't have the same effect [with the digital revolution]."
This reimagined storytelling concept has grown increasingly popular in recent years. A modern adaptation of Little Women in 2018 brought the classic tale into contemporary times. The Disney Plus series Percy Jackson and the Olympians placed ancient mythology in a modern-day world. The Broadway musical Hamilton reimagined America's Founding Fathers as a diverse cast of ethnicities.
Syrstad also is the director of the upcoming film Fellowship, which will tell the story of friends C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.
"We've made it for believers to re-engage with the stories that they know but also for non-believers," Syrstad said of Testament. "You know, we've tried our best to make this an adventure drama. It's something that's full of thrills and an invitation to kind of go, 'Hey, the Bible is actually one of the most exciting books.'… And so I hope it's a way to engage with the stories for someone who might not know them at all in a really visceral, fun, and engaging way, and then we invite people to go look at spoilers -- they're in the book of Acts. You can find them there."
Photo Credit: ©Angel
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published June 17, 2025.
