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“The Chosen” has gone all-in with the theatrical releases for its fourth season.
The streaming hit and first multi-season series about the life of Jesus (played by Jonathan Roumie) has kicked off an all-theatrical premiere of its new full season in two-week runs. Episodes 1-3 are in theaters now, replaced by episodes 4-6 starting February 15 and the final two episodes of the season starting February 29.
After experimenting with previous “Chosen” releases, Season 4 required a full theatrical release, according to creator, director and co-writer Dallas Jenkins.
“This season we have important biblical events, such as the death of John the Baptist and the raising of Lazarus from the dead,” says Jenkins. “These moments are best seen with a crowd and on the big screen.”
Importantly, loyal fans of “Chosen” have already shown that they are willing to pay admission to be among the first congregations of the series, which is traditionally released for free on Application “The Chosen” before moving to streaming platforms such as Amazon Prime and Netflix.
Previous theatrical runs of two Christmas specials and Season 3 episodes grossed an impressive $40 million at the box office, says Ray Nutt, CEO of Fathom Events, which organizes the national screenings. New episodes are booked into 2,300 theaters, Fathom’s largest presence to date, during the traditionally forgettable movie month of February.
“With ‘The Chosen,’ people have already shown that they want to see it shoulder to shoulder, crying and laughing together,” Nutt says. “We think this is going to be big.” (“The Chosen” opened in second place in its opening weekend with $7.5 million at the box office.)
When does ‘The Chosen’ season 4 air?
Jenkins hasn’t overlooked the traditionally free release of “Chosen,” and is considering a broadcast date before June, shortly after the theatrical run ends in March. “We don’t want people to wait much longer,” he says.
What happens in the fourth season of ‘The Chosen’?
There are not many details in the well-known biblical story that describes Salome’s dance in front of her stepfather, King Herod, known as the Dance of the Seven Veils, which caused the death of the imprisoned John the Baptist.
“The Bible simply says that Salome, daughter of Herodias, danced and Herod was overjoyed and offered her half of his kingdom. But Salome asked for the head of John the Baptist,” says Jenkins. “But just rushing to show the dance, I don’t think I would have honored this history.”
In typical “Chosen” fashion, the season premiere explores plausible scenarios surrounding the preparation of the dance that were never mentioned in the Bible. The rehearsals not only show dance works from the Roman era, but also reveal Herodias’s plan to take revenge on John, a contemporary of Jesus, who had publicly condemned her marriage to Herod.
In the background, Herodias pushes for perfection in the dancing of Salome, played by Briar Nolet, a former competitor on NBC’s “World of Dance.”
“We had to hire an actor who could actually dance, without doubles,” Jenkins says, noting its importance in telling a larger story. “We like to see the mechanics of the dance, how difficult it is for Salome to do it well and how important it is for Herodias, who is obsessed with a perfect dance. It shows how high the stakes are. That makes for good television.”
The big party, filmed in “The Chosen” set in Goshen, Utah, features fire breathers, snake dancers and revelers. But the most spectacular is Salome’s dance before Herod, choreographed by Daniel Lim using regional and period-specific dance styles.
“It’s one of the biggest, most extensive scenes we’ve ever shot,” says Jenkins. “And one of the most beautiful.”
Who dies in the fourth season of ‘The Chosen’? (Spoilers below!)
There are emotional deaths in the new season of “The Chosen,” including that of Juan Bautista as a result of Salomé’s dance.
In terms of surprise power, however, it’s hard to top Episode 3’s shocking disappearance of fan favorite Ramah (Yasmine Al-Bustami). Jenkins says the fictional but “plausible” character was always intended to meet a tragic end after an endearing role depicting her relationship and even a chaste romance as she followed Jesus.
After getting engaged to Jesus’ disciple Thomas in episode 1, the couple seems destined for long-term happiness. But Ramah accidentally ends up on the wrong end of the sword belonging to Roman magistrate Quintus (Brandon Potter), who loses his mind during a tense crowd scene. It’s a blow.
“We always knew this was going to happen,” Jenkins says. “But it’s going to be very painful for the fans. There will be people upset and confused why we chose this path if it wasn’t necessary.”
But there is a “long game” for Ramah’s character. Jenkins says the tragic death helps the series illustrate how disciple Thomas (Joey Vahedi) becomes the Bible’s “doubting Thomas,” demanding to see proof of Jesus’ crucifixion wounds before believing in his resurrection. among the dead.
“Ramah had always been that positive force, always encouraging Thomas not to doubt and to take a leap of faith,” says Al-Bustami. “He’s going to continue, but without his influence. That will have an impact. It hurts, but it’s a beautiful story.”
