In light of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk’s assassination, Dallas Jenkins, creator of the hit biblical drama “The Chosen,” is encouraging people to avoid “inflammatory rhetoric” and turn to “the teachings of Jesus.”
During an interview with The Christian Broadcasting Network, Jenkins revealed he was on set, wrapping up filming for Season 6 of the biblical drama, when he heard the “upsetting” and “shocking” news that Kirk had been fatally shot during an event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10.
“(Kirk) was killed for things that he said, not for anything that he’s done,” Jenkins said. “It’s obvious he was killed for his beliefs.”
Jenkins noted he has heard rhetoric from both sides of the political spectrum that attempts to “demonize the opposition,” which he believes can lead to radical and dangerous behaviors.
“If you tell enough people that someone or a group of people are Nazis, are a threat to your literal freedom and democracy, and in fact, your very life, I mean, why wouldn’t you think that they should die, or at least be stopped in some dramatic way?” Jenkins said.
He continued, “I have seen many times people on all sides, on social media, casually throw out terms like ‘evil’ and ‘destructive,’ ‘destroying the world,’ a ‘threat to your life’ — all that kind of thing.”
In the wake of chaos, Jenkins hopes people will come to the same conclusion he has — that “politics is ultimately not the answer.” This does not mean we should avoid being involved or passionate about politics, but prioritize following God’s call to love others, he explained.
“I always want to bring it back to, ‘Where is Jesus in this?’” Jenkins proposed. “Our call as Christians is not to be like the world, is to not engage in the same way that the world does.”
“I just hope that we take a look at ourselves and say, look, the No. 1 thing that we are called to is to love God and love others, and even in the midst of pain, even in the midst of hatred, even in the midst of violence, we are to love God and love others.”
Jenkins also briefly touched on his own relationship with Kirk, who he said he shared “a lot of mutual friends” with. The filmmaker also noted he and Kirk had been in talks of doing a joint panel discussion at one of his events in the nearby future.
While Jenkins admitted he did not agree with Kirk on all of his views, he praised Kirk for his “unparalleled” knowledge and understanding of the Bible, conservative ideas and Judeo-Christian values.
His final sentiment was that he hopes Americans will take this as an opportunity to turn toward God and find peace there.
“My prayer for this country is that slowly but surely, one at a time, people would turn towards their Creator,” Jenkins said. “I’m hoping that this draws us closer to God, and that we think that God is here in the midst of suffering.”
“This is a painful time. I hope that we all turn to our Creator in times like this.”
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.”