The series creator, Dallas Jenkins, went this route because he knew that Hollywood, in its current state, would never finance or support it… “a series about the life of Jesus? Who would want to watch that?” 

Nearly half a billion people, that's how many people would want to watch a story on the life of Jesus. I just checked my Chosen app and the running total to date is over 466 million views. And if you haven’t guessed by now I am a huge fan of the series. I discovered it last year when it was less than the phenomenon it is now. 

I was extremely impressed with the high production values, the depth and skill in the writing, and the first-rate actor performances. The portrayal of Jesus by actor Jonathan Roumie is hands down the best I have ever seen; his humanity, humor, and humility bring Jesus alive in a way that no film or television production ever has. This actor was destined for the role.

The Chosen series has achieved all this on a less than modest budget, which has also been the story of my career in creating films on small budgets and making them look high quality and much bigger budgeted. I’ve been in the trenches. I know the amount of work, planning, and long hours that have to go in when you have limited resources to produce something of quality. So I may have a deeper appreciation for what the series has been able to achieve.

The proof is in the pudding. The third season of the series launched on November 18, 2022 with the first two episodes in theaters across the country. It quickly soared to number three at the box office in its opening weekend. Achieving this box office position is beyond amazing because the production was only in 2027 theaters and the film at the number one position during that time, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was in over 4300 theaters. 

What I enjoy watching as well are the fan video testimonials that viewers have posted on the Chosen app and other places, where they detail how the series has changed their lives, renewed their faith, and compelled them to dive deeper into the Bible’s teachings. I believe this was what the goal of the series was all along and I fully support it. 

This divisive world has truly “gone off the rails” in my opinion where people with differing beliefs can’t even speak to one another. It is a recipe for a continuing disaster. With more and more people discovering truths in the teachings of Jesus, perhaps one day humans will heal their differences and come together as one. With faith-based messages contained in a series such as The Chosen, it's a very good start.