By Kayla DeKraker
THE CHOSEN keeps beating the odds, and despite its an unconventional method of funding and promotion, the series continues to make millions at the box office.
The series’ fifth season hit theaters with THE CHOSEN: LAST SUPPER PART ONE in March. This past Easter weekend, PART 3 pulled over $1.6 million, grossing $11 million since it first arrived in theaters on April 11. To date, all three parts of this season have made over $40 million.
The most amazing part? Thirty to forty percent of viewers going to see the series are not yet Christian.
“It is the greatest story ever told … but it’s always been on stained-glass windows, or statues. There’s a formality to it, a rigidity to it,” creator Dallas Jenkins said of why the show draws nonbelievers. “And what we keep hearing over and over from nonbelievers is, ‘Yeah, I’m not a Christian. I don’t go to church…But this is a great story, and I love seeing a Jesus that laughs with his friends at weddings and dances and tells jokes…and has a lot of the same human experiences that we do.’”
Thanks to its large secular audience, THE CHOSEN is seeing unprecedented success.
“Last year we thought that we had reached a bit of a ceiling with how many people were interested in coming to the theater to watch a TV show,” Jenkins said. “Certainly, it was more than the industry would have ever thought or predicted.”
But this year’s release already surpassed those expectations.
Chief executive of Fathom Entertainment Ray Nutt added, “To have this many people come out to a movie theater and pay for it and actually see it is pretty remarkable.”
He continued, “It can’t be just a movie that somebody decides to divide into parts and get another bite at the apple, if you will. It’s got to be something that is episodic, that is going to bring people back.”
Related: Dallas Jenkins Dishes on ‘Heartbreaking’ Storyline in THE CHOSEN Season 5
Last week, Jenkins took to Instagram to share photos from PART 2. In the caption, he said, “Some of the buzzed about moments from PART 2, which is still in theaters for you to catch up on before PART 3 comes Thursday night.”
Viewers continue to share their love for THE CHOSEN and how much it’s touched them.
“I sobbed during the scene with Jesus and the women around the table. 😭💔” one user said in the comment section. Another person added, “All of these served greatness on the big screen! My favorite was Atticus with [sic] Pilot cause I just knew Pilot was dead, lol! Can’t imagine what’s coming in part 3.”
Season 5 has long been teased as one of the most intense and sad seasons yet, as it focuses on Jesus’ final days before the crucifixion. Elizabeth Tabish, who plays Mary Magdalene, told Deseret News, “Five was a very intense season. I just remember crying a lot. We usually all try to cheer each other up during the heavier sequences and scenes.”
Although THE CHOSEN Season 5 ended its theater run on April 20, it will be available to stream at a later date.
Read Next: How Mary Magdalene Changes in THE CHOSEN Season 5
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