Dallas Jenkins Dishes on ‘Heartbreaking’ Storyline in THE CHOSEN Season 5
By Movieguide® Contributor
THE CHOSEN Director Dallas Jenkins is eager for audiences to see Judas’ storyline play out in Season 5.
“I will have to admit that seeing Judas, and hopefully this isn’t a spoiler for too many people because they’ve read the Bible,” Jenkins said in a recent interview. “But what isn’t a spoiler is how it happens, who it impacts, and how the disciples wrestle with knowing that something bad is happening. Jesus outright told the disciples, ‘One of you will betray me.’”
“They didn’t have a hallway for it. They couldn’t understand it,” the director continued. “They couldn’t figure out who it might be.”
In Season 5, Jenkins explores why the other disciples never suspected Judas.
“How does this impact Judas? Judas probably had a family,” Jenkins said, noting that he touches on “sociopolitical dynamics.”
“So, who is it that Judas first approached specifically? The Romans? The religious leaders? How did this happen, and how did it happen underground? How did it happen without the disciples knowing?” he asked.
The “heartbreaking” scenes weren’t easy to film for the cast and crew but especially for Luke Dimyan, who plays Judas.
“The portrayal of that in Season 5 is exciting and heartbreaking,” Jenkins said. “How we portray scenes between Jesus and Judas when Jesus knows what’s coming. It’s been really fascinating to portray.”
THE CHOSEN’s social media pages have recently let fans have a few sneak peeks from their dusty set.
Deseret reported on Aug. 12 that a “video from when the cast and crew were filming in Utah showed a dust storm moving onto the set. Tumbleweeds blow onto the set, trash cans are knocked over, the tents blow in the wind as cast and crew scramble to take shelter during the storm.”
Movieguide® previously reported on Season 5:
“Cameras will begin rolling on THE CHOSEN Season 5 in Utah starting April 11; the series will shoot there for six weeks before shifting to the show’s home base in Texas for the remainder of the production,” Variety reported.
The show’s creator, Dallas Jenkins, told Variety, “The response to Season 4 has been overwhelming so far, which provides a nice lift for us as we head into filming. Of course, we’re about to try to portray the most famous week in the history of humans, so the euphoria from the previous season never lasts long. The entire Season 6 will cover one day, so covering one week in Season 5 feels luxurious.”
Several of THE CHOSEN’s episodes have received Movieguide Teddy Bear Awards®.
Season 5’s release date has not yet been announced, but Forbes estimates an early-to-mid 2025 release based on the show’s previous patterns.
