The lucrative eight-year relationship between The Chosen creator Dallas Jenkins and Angel Studios came to an end last month, but the franchise’s future continues to look bright.
Just a few weeks after revealing The Chosen’s contract with Angel Studios was “officially terminated,” Jenkins told Deseret News he intends to crowdsource $30 million for the show’s “super-sized” season six finale, which will depict Christ’s crucifixion.
As of Aug. 3, $17.5 million had been raised. The eventual total reportedly will go toward releasing the finale as a feature-length film March 12, 2027. Filming for season six already is well under way, having been split between sets in Texas, Utah and Italy.
“I promise you, the way we’re telling this story and illuminating the meaning of Christ’s sacrifice has never been on film before. I believe any dollar you sacrifice is going to be part of changing someone’s life,” Jenkins told Deseret News.
Jenkins v. Angel Studios
On June 18, Jenkins announced on a livestream the show’s original distributor is no longer with them. This came after a year of legal battles, following his May 2024 announcement the relationship with Angel Studios was effectively over.
Following an arbitration process starting in 2023, Jenkins alleged Angel Studios was guilty of “multiple significant contract violations,” of which multiple independent appeals court rulings were made in his favor, allowing him to pursue new partnerships and distributors.
He said further arbitration appeals are awaiting the most recent set that ruled in his favor. He asked viewers to pray for an end to what he called taxing, time-consuming, distracting and expensive legal proceedings, while acknowledging Angel helped jumpstart the show’s success.
Previous legal battles between Angel Studios and the creators of an upcoming David animated film resulted in $5 million restitution for the filmmakers, after the filmmakers similarly alleged contract violations and a “hostile takeover” of the project. David has been removed from Angel’s release slate.
The theatrical release of The Chosen’s eight-episode fifth season grossed $60 million at the box office.
The most recent fifth season’s streaming premiere of The Chosen occurred on Amazon Prime Video between June 15 and 29, following a theatrical window for the eight-episode season that grossed $60 million at the box office. Amazon also maintains the exclusive streaming rights to planned spin-offs and sequel projects.
The mega-success of The Chosen
The rise of The Chosen into prominence is one of the largest entertainment stories of faith-based filmmaking during the past decade. It started as a passion project for filmmaker Jenkins, son of Left Behind author Jerry B. Jenkins. The crowdfunded show began with the modest ambition of becoming the first multi-season television show to dramatize the life of Christ across his entire ministry.
Poster for Left Behind 3 movie.
Thanks in part to good word-of-mouth and easy access to the show, with Jenkins publicly releasing early seasons for free on YouTube during the COVID pandemic, the show rapidly took off after premiering in 2017.
The show has released five seasons, been syndicated on Netflix and The CW, grossed $140 million at the box office and briefly became the most watched show on Amazon Prime Video. Christians of all traditions have embraced the program as an earnest retelling of the gospels with the power to spread Christ’s message, validated by numerous conversion testimonies.
The Chosen’s success has spurred plans for numerous sequels and spinoffs, including Acts of the Apostles.
The show’s success also has spurred plans for numerous sequels and spinoffs. Jenkins announced plans in September 2024 for multiple projects, including The Chosen Adventures, The Chosen in the Wild with Bear Grylls, Acts of the Apostles, Book of Moses, and Joseph.
Background controversies
Angel Studios has built a lucrative industry for itself as a successful producer of faith-based entertainment. Its most successful film, The Sound of Freedom, grossed $250.6 million at the box office. Many of its smaller releases have become highly discussed online, such as last year’s Bonhoeffer.
However, controversy has accompanied success. The 2023 release of The Sound of Freedom drew controversy for its lead actors’ proximity to the QAnon movement, with many members of that movement going out to support the film. Similarly, Angel Studios partnered with the conservative website The Daily Wire to distribute The Sound of Hope the following year. The film’s executive producer, Letitia Wright, objected and publicly distanced herself from the collaboration.
Conversely, the studio has offended some conservative audiences with its allegedly “woke” content in films like Cabrini, which interprets the life of America’s first Catholic saint as a story of female empowerment and immigration issues. The company also has received criticism for how it implements its “Pay it Forward” system, with critics alleging the ability to purchase tickets for others is a manipulative way to boost box office totals, even as tickets go unredeemed.
(Screencap from YouTube)
The Chosen isn’t without criticism as well, with many conservative Protestants and Catholics scrutinizing the show as potentially heretical and a potential Second Commandment violation. The show’s historical accuracy, theology and casting decisions also have been scrutinized.
“While the series does represent the biblical teaching accurately some of the time, it puts words in Jesus’ mouth that are not in the Bible, and the words are sometimes controversial pertaining to their accuracy in representing the tenor of Scripture,” claimed John Goodell, pastor of New Life Fellowship Church in Grant, Neb. “The series fills in a lot of space between the lines of Scripture and takes quite a bit of liberty to do so. One’s theology of Jesus cannot help but come through in these scenes.”
Jenkins also faced criticism for allowing pro-LGBTQ+ actors and crew on set and was accused of spreading Mormon propaganda by quoting from the Book of Mormon. Among Angel Studios’ most prominent investors are the Harmon Family, whose members are prominent members of the Latter-Day Saints church, but they are far from the only backers. Jenkins has denied even reading the Book of Mormon.
Regardless of the controversies, The Chosen’s star continues to rise and likely will through its planned seventh season. Angel Studios has yet to replicate the financial success delivered by its more controversial entries. However, several of Angel’s recent films, such as The King of Kings, have performed well at the box office.
Only time will tell where fortune will carry both The Chosen and Angel Studios.
Editor’s note: Initial information about some box-office totals were incorrect and have been removed.
Tyler Hummel is a Wisconsin-based freelance critic and journalist, a member of the Music City Film Critics Association, a regular film and literature contributor at Geeks Under Grace, and was the 2021 College Fix Fellow at Main Street Nashville.
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