
By India McCarty
THE CHOSEN might have started out as a crowdfunded series, but now, the show is bringing in major money at the box office — the show’s overall box office take now stands at $140 million.
“If you’re one of the faces we saw in theaters this weekend: thank you,” showrunner Dallas Jenkins said in a statement following the theatrical release of THE CHOSEN: LAST SUPPER — PART 1.
He continued, “Your support sends a huge message to media and makes it easier for storytellers like us to share impactful stories. It also generates more interest and eyeballs. And more important, I just hope the episodes are impacting you.”
A large portion of THE CHOSEN’s total box office numbers is due to the most recent season of the show. Collider reported LAST SUPPER’s three parts made over $35 million in theaters.
Fans are already clamoring for Season 6 of THE CHOSEN, but Jenkins recently shared that there will be a delay in new episodes.
“Season 6 is going to take us longer to film than any season we’ve ever done, by far, so that, of course, then pushes the post-production process as well,” he explained in a YouTube Q&A.
Jenkins said the speedy production process has been “extraordinarily taxing” on the show’s cast and crew, adding, “They’ve been begging me to give a little bit more of a cushion. And so we’re going to definitely be doing that for future seasons.”
“We’re not owned by some big studio,” the show’s creator stressed. “We don’t have a billion dollars at our disposal to make all this work. We’re doing this, a lot of this, from scratch, and so it just takes time, and it’s very difficult. So please be patient with us as we get through that.”
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The showrunner did share some details about Season 6’s upcoming episodes in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, revealing that it will all take place over one day — the day of Jesus’ crucifixion.
“In most portrayals, Jesus is on the cross, and you just see a bunch of people weeping and he’s being tortured and mocked,” Jenkins explained. “We want to stress Jesus’ desire for comfort and connection with his friends and family. And that period of time lasted several hours, which hasn’t been portrayed before. We have the time and I have more tools in my tool belt for the crucifixion than other filmmakers had.”
THE CHOSEN’s massive box office earnings show the appetite audiences have for stories of faith — and give a good indicator of how well the show’s next season will do in theaters once it premieres.
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