How Dallas Jenkins Really Feels About Making His Dream Movie

Published: October 24, 2024

How Dallas Jenkins Really Feels About Making His Dream Movie

By Movieguide® Contributor

THE CHOSEN’s Dallas Jenkins recently revealed the “miraculous” journey it took for him to make his latest movie, THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER.

“I was born to make it,” Jenkins told CBN News. “I’m the only one who can do this story justice. The combination of humor…with the message of Jesus being told, but in a way that it doesn’t feel preachy. There’s a reason this book has been read in public schools — and it’s not because the message has been watered down. It’s just because it’s told so well, it doesn’t feel like it’s coming at you with a Bible hammer. It feels like just an entertaining story that has a strong, good message.”

THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER is based on a book of the same name that tells the story of the raucous Herdman kids who take over their town’s Christmas pageant. Plenty of mischief ensues, but the Herdmans wind up teaching their fellow townspeople a lot about the true meaning of Christmas.

Jenkins shared that he and his wife read the book every Christmas — and that he has prayed to secure the film rights to the book every holiday season as well. Finally, after years of bugging the people who owned the rights, Jenkins caught a lucky break: one of the men who held the rights told Jenkins his mom was a fan of THE CHOSEN.

Jenkins recalled the conversation the man had with his mom: “Just a few days ago, my mom called me and said, ‘Have you seen this show called THE CHOSEN?’ And I said, ‘No.’ And she goes, ‘You have to see it.’ And he goes, ‘Well, that’s funny, because the creator of the show is always bugging me, because he wants to do THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER. And she says, ‘You better give him the rights! He’s the only one who can make this movie! How come you didn’t tell me the creator of THE CHOSEN wanted to do this movie?’”

“[It’s] a calling fulfilled to see this movie finally come to life,” he concluded. “The fact that I’m even talking to you about it is, in and of itself, a miracle I didn’t think ever was going to happen.”

Jenkins spoke further about the movie’s message in an Instagram post, saying, “It’s similar to what THE CHOSEN is trying to do, actually. It’s trying to take the story of Christmas and story of Jesus and taking down from stained glass windows and pretty paintings … and revealing what it actually is. And through the eyes of these kids, they actually do that.”

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THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER’s cast feel just as strongly about the movie as Jenkins does.

Judy Greer told PEOPLE, “We were so lucky with the cast, and I think that’s what really elevated it. The script was so sweet and funny, of course Dallas is incredible and has such a vision and so much energy.”

“But what really took the movie to the next level for me, the experience making it, is our incredible cast,” she continued. “Everyone had so much to give and was so talented and funny. Additionally, all of the kids were really able to open their hearts and be vulnerable when it was needed. I think that’s what really makes the movie special.”

The rest of the cast, including GILMORE GIRLS star Lauren Graham, Pete Holmes and Elizabeth Tabish, and the movie’s crew have also spoken about the movie.