Season 5 of ‘The Chosen’ ‘gets even more real,’ creator and director Dallas Jenkins says
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On Sunday evening, the official YouTube account of “The Chosen” broadcast its last livestream of 2023. The livestream offered a sneak peek into a scene of Season 4 — which creator Dallas Jenkins said would only be available for around 24 hours after the end of the livestream.
Additionally, Jenkins talked to Vanessa Benavente, who plays Mother Mary in “The Chosen,” as well as Christian worship leader Phil Wickham.
Jenkins kicked off the livestream by explaining why he was in Canada at the time. He said he is in the process of filming his “dream project” — adapting “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” for the big screen.
It took Jenkins 15 years to obtain the rights to “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.” He said throughout the process, he kept praying and feeling like he shouldn’t give up. Two cast members from “The Chosen” have been announced as cast members for “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”: Vanessa Benavente and Elizabeth Tabish.
Here’s a closer look at what was said during the livestream.
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‘Christmas with The Chosen: O Holy Night’
Jenkins said he thinks viewers should go to theaters from Dec. 12 to 17 to see “The Chosen” Christmas special.
The special is an edited combination of “The Shepherd” and “The Messengers.” It’s not just a mash-up of the two specials, Jenkins said. The two are edited together with two new monologues and a new musical performance.
“I think you’re going to have an emotional experience,” Jenkins said, adding that it could be an opportunity for a new Christmas classic.
Calling Andrea Bocelli “the best voice in the world” and a fan of “The Chosen,” Jenkins said the new special contains a performance of Bocelli with his son Mateo, which was filmed specifically for the special.
After talking about the special, Jenkins interviewed Benavente and asked her what it was like to “play the most famous woman in history” and whether or not she felt pressure.
“I do and I don’t. I feel like the script, even from the first scene I had to audition, it sounded like a real person,” Benavente said about her role as Mother Mary. “... I gave her some attributes from people in my family,” she added, citing the warmth of her grandmother’s sister that she brought into the role.
Benavente also talked about what it was like to have a scene with Tabish (Mary Magdalene) after Jesus has died. She said that when she envisioned the scene, she thought that Tabish’s character would comfort her, but she ended up comforting Tabish’s character. It was a deeply emotional experience for her.
The stories the “The Chosen” focuses on are about the relationship between Mother Mary and Jesus: a relationship between mother and son. Benavente said that the universality of these scenes makes it relatable.
The official account of “The Chosen” indicated in the chat of the livestream that “Christmas with The Chosen: O Holy Night” will be available to watch on the app in time for Christmas.
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‘The Chosen’ Season 4 sneak peek
On the livestream, Jenkins and Benavente discussed what fans can look forward to in Season 4.
“We’re getting into some deep waters now, especially for Mary,” Benavente said. “Things are getting more and more real. She knows the end is coming. I don’t know how much she knows about all the details.”
“It was a tough season to shoot,” she added, saying that the emotional aspects of the season made it difficult.
Agreeing with Benavente’s sentiments, Jenkins said, “It’s a beautiful season, it’s a painful season.” He previously called the season “our most emotionally challenging season” so far.
Jenkins gave a hint about what to expect in Season 5, which does not yet have an announced release date. It “gets even more real,” he said. The current plan is to begin filming Season 5 in April.
The reach of ‘The Chosen’
“I want you to know that you have brothers and sisters around the world who are risking their lives for this,” Jenkins said, explaining that around the world people are working on translating “The Chosen” in areas that may not be friendly toward the show.
Jenkins showed a video of a man named Imed Dabbour. Dabbour converted to Christianity and left Tunisia to live in the Middle East. His son Zack approached him after he saw “The Chosen” and Dabbour said he was struck by the artistic quality of the show and how people both Christian and non-Christian were able to see something new in Jesus when they watched the show.
Dabbour then met with the Come and See Foundation and “The Chosen” to get involved in the work of translating the show. Now he’s part of a team that is translating the show into different languages.
“What he’s doing is allowing people to see the show,” Jenkins said. “... Let’s keeping praying for him, let’s keep supporting him.”
‘The Chosen’ Season 4 official trailer
The official Season 4 trailer will be launching in theaters in conjunction with “Christmas with The Chosen: O Holy Night.”
The teaser trailer for Season 4 is already released, but the full length trailer is not. It’ll be exclusively rolled in theaters first before it will be released online.
Jenkins did not indicate when the trailer will be released online.
Where can I watch ‘The Chosen’ Christmas special?
On Tuesday, “Christmas with The Chosen: O Holy Night” will premiere in theaters. The official streaming date for the apps has not yet been announced. It’ll be in theaters from Dec. 12 to Dec. 17. It features a new performance from Andrea and Mateo Bocelli; they will be singing “O Holy Night” in French.
“The Shepherd” and “The Messengers” are available to stream on the app.
When is ‘The Chosen’ on the CW?
“The Chosen” airs each Sunday on the CW at 6 pm MT/8 pm MT.
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When does Season 4 of ‘The Chosen’ come out?
Season 4 of “The Chosen” starts to come out on Feb. 1.
Episodes 1 through 3 will be released on Feb. 1, 4 through 6 will follow starting on Feb. 15, and 7 and 8 will come out on Feb. 29.
The livestream is available to watch on the official YouTube account of “The Chosen.”
