Dallas Jenkins, creator of “The Chosen,” is relying on receiving $30 million in fan donations to fund the biblical drama’s Season 6 finale.
Unlike previous seasons, the sixth season of “The Chosen” will conclude with a “super-sized finale,” which will be “the most impactful thing we have ever done” with the series, Jenkins claimed in a statement shared with the Deseret News.
While writing the Season 6 finale, which features a depiction of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, Jenkins said he felt compelled to “not hold back on any big ideas.” He added, “the story of the crucifixion and all the things we wanted to do to portray its meaning demanded everything we had.”
Jenkins shared the oversized script with The Come and See Foundation — the nonprofit organization that helps fund the series — and the group was “moved to expand on what we normally do and to go all in on the biggest production and release we’ve ever done,” Jenkins said in a clip via The Come and See Foundation.
“And so that requires more funds than we had anticipated,” he added.
The final episode of the season, which will release in theaters globally as a feature-length film rather than an individual episode, will cost $30 million to put on screen.
Nearly $16 million has already been crowdfunded through The Come and See Foundation.
Now, Jenkins is pleading with fans to donate the remaining funds required to complete the Season 6 finale.
“I promise you, the way we’re telling this story and illuminating the meaning of Christ’s sacrifice has never been on film before. I believe ANY dollar you sacrifice is going to be part of changing someone’s life,” Jenkins said.
He continued, “Thank you in advance for considering it, and if you’ve given already, thank you so much. Come and See is putting every dime of yours to the production and language translations.”
In mid-February, Jenkins announced his 5&2 Studios formed a wide-ranging deal with Amazon MGM Studios, providing Amazon with exclusive streaming rights for “The Chosen.” But, “Amazon still isn’t financing the whole show,” Jenkins told the Deseret News in March.
“The bulk of our financing still comes from donations to (The) Come and See (Foundation),” he added.
The feature-film length episode will set itself apart from previous season finales because it will release globally at the same time — Season 5 debuted domestically before it did internationally — and will premiere in several languages, Jenkins said.
“We are going bigger and more expansive than ever before,” Jenkins said. “We are making sure that this crucifixion movie is not only just a continuation of ‘The Chosen’ story of the biblical story, but we get into the global story, the history of creation, of God’s story that starts with creation, starts in the Garden of Eden, then transitions into the fall and the introduction of death into the world.”
“We give you not just the how, not just the what of Christ’s crucifixion, and not even just the when, but the why.”
Filming ‘The Chosen’ in Italy
Jenkins and “The Chosen” cast and crew spent three weeks in Matera, Italy filming the crucifixion sequence for Season 6. He called it the “hardest part of the hardest thing we’ve done,” per a statement shared with the Deseret News.
“The physical, intellectual and emotional toll has been immense, as you can imagine,” he added.
Filming for previous seasons of “The Chosen” has been mostly split between a set in Midlothian, Texas, and a set in Goshen, Utah. Scenes for Season 6 were shot on both of these sets.
But for the crucifixion scene, Jenkins chose to take filming to Italy.
“We believe the crucifixion story is so important and needed to be authentic, we chose Matera, Italy, as our place to film,” Jenkins said.
He continued, “It is an extraordinary location, and it’s where they filmed ‘The Passion of the Christ,’ ... You cannot make a place like this anywhere else. We did not want to use a blue screen for the crucifixion sequences. And so we needed to go all in.”
When does ‘The Chosen’ Season 6 come out?
The sixth season of “The Chosen” is expected to begin a phased theatrical release during late 2026, Jenkins said during an April livestream. Official dates for these episodes have not been announced.
“Season 6 will come,” Jenkins said. “We will tell you the dates when we know them.”
The Season 6 finale will be theatrically released on March 12, 2027, followed by the Season 7 theatrical premiere on March 31, 2028.
“In a first-of-its-kind arrangement, Amazon MGM Studios and 5&2 Studios will release the Season 6 finale of the global phenomenon, The Chosen, as a feature film portraying the crucifixion of Jesus, exclusively in theaters,” per a press announcement shared with The Deseret News.
Both the Season 6 finale and the Season 7 premiere “are being produced as standalone films designed for the big screen experience.”
The sixth season of the biblical drama will be “probably a little longer than normal,” Jenkins revealed during the April livestream. All previous five seasons of the series have eight episodes, each roughly one hour in running time.
It will also have a unique theatrical release schedule, he said. The first six episodes will likely come out in theaters in late 2026 followed by an extended break before the final episodes are released in what Jenkins said will be a “global theatrical event.”
‘The Chosen’ Season 5 is available to stream on Prime Video
All eight episodes of “The Chosen” Season 5 are available to stream exclusively on Prime Video.
Days after the final three episodes of the biblical drama launched, the series rose to No. 1 on Prime Video in the United States.
“Season 5 is officially No. 1 on Prime Video in the U.S., and all because of your support. Thank you,” the official “Chosen” account announced on social media.
“The Chosen: The Last Supper” is the first season of the series to be released exclusively on any streaming platform.
The fifth season of “The Chosen” will be available to stream for free on “The Chosen” app in September, which is 90 days after the series completely released on Prime Video.
Episodes of Season 5 will release on “The Chosen” app over the course of three weeks, following the same release pattern as the theatrical and Prime Video releases.
