Season Five of The Chosen set for spring theatrical release

The fifth season of The Chosen, the multi-season crowdfunded drama portraying the life of Christ, will premiere in U.S. theaters in early April.

Dallas Jenkins, the director of the show, said on a livestream Sunday night that details are being finalized, but the first episodes of the planned eight-episode season will begin their theatrical run in either the first or second weeks of April. The episodes will continue to be released in theaters over the following weeks, with special opportunities to watch the entire season in one day.

What events is season five expected to cover? Jenkins previously said that Season Five will cover events from the early part of what Christians refer to as Holy Week—the period between Palm Sunday and Easter. Biblical events from that time include Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, His cleansing of the temple, His betrayal by Judas Iscariot, and His Last Supper with the disciples. Jenkins plans to depict Good Friday and the crucifixion in Season Six, due out in 2026.

So Season Five has been completed then? Filming and basic editing for all eight episodes has been completed, Jenkins said. In the coming months, editors will be working on scoring, visual effects, sound editing, and color correction. He expects those tasks to be completed early next year. At that point, the episodes will be translated into multiple languages—a process that has pushed the theatrical release date out farther than prior years, per Jenkins. The director said he was willing to delay the U.S. theatrical release to facilitate more global access on the launch date.

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 points out that the show introduces extra-Biblical material while building backstories for Biblical characters, including Jesus and His disciples. Critics argue that this is a violation of the Biblical warning against adding to or taking away from Scripture. Jenkins has said he never claimed that the show is a substitute for Scripture, or equal to it. Any backstories created are designed to support the intention of Scripture, rather than conflict with the Bible, Jenkins has said.

The show also faced criticism early on due to its distribution partner, Angel Studios, having ties to the Mormon Church. Jenkins admitted that the founders of Angel Studios are of the Mormon faith, but insisted that he and his writing partners were Christians and had exclusive control over the content of the show as part of their agreement with Angel Studios. In May, The Chosen cut ties with Angel Studios, citing unspecified contract disputes.

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s report about The Chosen’s contract dispute with Angel Studios.