I'd been looking forward to seeing this trailer so much that I neglected to see the Christmas Special that came to theaters last week (Dec 12-17). I tend to watch all The Chosen's work at home, anyway, because I'm bawling by the end of each episode. It's often a private experience, as a result. But this may change this coming year.
The Christmas special (which was called Christmas with The Chosen: Holy Night) ended up being a success for Fathom Events (who distributes The Chosen to theaters when they do something special like this), so I believe that this season of the show will get ever more popular, even as it gets more serious. The Wrap speaks about Fathom's success with The Chosen, here.
We're getting into it now, being this is going to be season four of seven. And we know that this story of Jesus turns sour by the time the authority figures of this place and period begin to react to his claim to be the Jewish Messiah (God come in the flesh). Just as Herod killed hundreds of babies (when Jesus was born) in order to snuff out a potential threat to his authority, these rulers can be similarly petty and bloodthirsty.
And, being that we know what is coming, I believe Dallas Jenkins and the writers at The Chosen have leaned into the somber tone a tad, because by now there is a presaging of what is to come by the end of the series. This somber tone isn't just because of what is coming but because Jesus literally explains to his disciples his own end, but they still do not get it. There is a deep inner darkness that Jesus is trying to reveal here.
My guess is that by next season they will return to a lighter tone, and then season six will be a mixing of light and darkness, while seven brings us squarely into the crucifixion itself. Then the bright light will shine in darkness at the very end of the last season.
This may successfully prepare us for a series on The Acts of the Apostles. There is no specifics on if they will be doing one on Acts (in particular) but this is what I hope for, because due to the success of this series, it seems most appropriate. Similar time, similar people, and a continuation (in some ways) of this particular series. What we do know, however, is that Dallas Jenkins has stated that he intends to do more Bible stories after taking a bit of a break. Which Bible stories is the question.
Dallas Jenkins states on Christian Headlines that he hopes to do more biblical stories due to the dual sets they have utilized for The Chosen (in Midlothian, TX and in Goshen, UT). So, we know that there are great opportunities for them (and other faith-based filmmakers) to do much more in the future, in the vein of Biblical storytelling.
I hope this will translate into an Acts series for Jenkins, personally, but I also hope for other faith-based producers and filmmakers to do additional stories utilizing these resources.
But what about this trailer?
There are some excellent breakdowns of the trailer already, but before that we have a video by MovieGuide to prepare you for season four. Here's everything you need to know about season four.
But now that we've seen the trailer some things are being made more clear. We get some expert breakdowns of the trailer here down below. The Chosen Sleuth (Brandon Snipe), Now Let's be Honest, and Against the Current Podcast often have some of the best breakdowns with biblical and historical analysis for us. So here we go...
These fellows have been breaking down Chosen material for some time, and know what to look for here. Did you see anything novel or unique in the trailer?
Did you enjoy this article? Are you looking forward to the new season of The Chosen or are you still skeptical? Let us know your thoughts down below (with subscription) or on our social media!
