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.

I wanted to share one of the distinguished historian reviews we have received. It is from US Army Colonel (Ret.) Robert Scherer Historian of the 12th Armored Division Association. We are honored he has shared his thoughts and kind words with us on the film. His review is below.

"Serving for Justice tells a story that needs to be told, and it is told well. The research that went into producing this film and the skill with which it was done are laudable. The initial ten minutes provides an excellent, albeit short history of the black experience up to WWII. I hope the producers will devote an entire movie to that experience in the future. The history of the men who enlisted or were inducted, trained, deployed, and fought in the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion is an American story that could be told of any of the 16 million personnel who wore our uniform in WWII. The fact that these men and others like them who happened to be African-American operated under a continual cloud of racism and yet performed just like any other American Soldier, some very good and some not as good, is what is remarkable. As the colloquialism says, they went into the fight with one hand tied behind their backs. The key part is they went into the fight! The producers have done an amazing job telling the story of the unit up to and including its participation in the Battle of the Bulge and the war crimes committed on the men we now know as the Wereth Eleven. The end story of the ultimate acknowledgement of the crime and the memorial erected and dedicated in their honor and memory is critical to our history. I highly recommend this film. It is historically accurate to my knowledge and very well done."

Robert W. Scherer
COL (Retired), US Army
Historian, 12th Armored Division Association
Board Member 12th Armored Division Memorial Museum