Filming begins on Season Five of The Chosen

Cast and crew began shooting the show’s fifth season on Thursday, according to a social media update by director and writer Dallas Jenkins. Speaking from the show’s Utah set, he said scripts were complete and filming of the season was expected to wrap in just over two months. The Chosen is a multi-season crowdfunded drama created to depict the life of Christ. Jenkins said the show will last seven seasons, and season five will cover Holy Week, the seven days leading up to the crucifixion of Christ. The show’s first three seasons are already available online.

What about Season Four? Jenkins has promised that all seven seasons of The Chosen will eventually be available for free streaming online. Beginning in February, all eight episodes of Season Four were released in U.S. theaters over six weeks. A free online release was planned after the theatrical run, but that has not happened yet. Last month, Jenkins said Season Four’s online release was delayed by unspecified “legal matters.” On Thursday, Jenkins said those legal matters were “still happening” but promised that Season Four would eventually be available for free. He added that the first four episodes of Season Four are currently being shown in some churches and prisons across the United States.

Wasn’t there some controversy about the show? Some Christian leaders, including John MacArthur, pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, Calif., have criticized the show. MacArthur argues that the show introduces extra-Biblical material while building backstories for Biblical characters, including Jesus and His disciples. Jenkins has said he never intended for the show to be a substitute for Scripture and that any backstories created are designed to support the intention of Scripture, not conflict with it.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read a report on pro-life messages at the movie theater.