The Chosen Season Five teaser trailer strikes a somber tone

Fans of The Chosen got a sneak peek at the show’s fifth season with the Monday morning release of a one-minute teaser trailer containing previously unshown scenes. The Chosen is a multi-season show depicting the life of Jesus Christ. Dallas Jenkins, the show’s director and co-writer, has said Season Five of the seven-season show will focus on the events of Passion Week, leading up to Christ’s arrest. The eight-episode season is scheduled for an April release in theaters, followed by a free online streaming release.

What was shown in the teaser trailer? The one-minute teaser trailer features scenes from the show, overlaid with a female vocalist’s somber performance of the hymn, “This is my Father’s World.” Clips in the trailer appear to show portrayals of the Last Supper, Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, lambs prepared for Temple sacrifice, and Christ driving out moneychangers from the Temple.

Didn’t Dallas Jenkins just direct a Christmas movie? The Best Christmas Pageant Ever debuted in theaters earlier this month. The film was directed by Jenkins and is based on a classic holiday novel written by Barbara Robinson. It’s the story of a small town that struggles to understand the true meaning of Christmas when a family of unruly children takes control of the annual Christmas pageant. According to the entertainment site The Numbers, the film earned nearly $11 million when it opened the weekend of Nov. 8, and has since grossed more than $25 million.

Isn’t there some controversy about the show? Some Christian leaders have criticized the show. For example, John MacArthur, pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, Calif., pointed out that the show introduces extra-Biblical material while building backstories for Biblical characters, including Jesus and His disciples. Critics argue that doing so could violate the Biblical warning against adding to or taking away from Scripture. Jenkins has said the backstories are designed to support the intention of Scripture rather than conflict with it. He emphasizes the show is not equal to Scripture nor a substitute for it.

The show also faced criticism early on due to its distribution partner, Angel Studios, having ties to the Mormon religion. 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. 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.