MIDLOTHIAN, Texas — The big news that fans of “The Chosen” have been waiting for is finally here.
The popular faith-based series on the life of Jesus Christ will release the first two episodes of Season 3 in theaters starting Nov. 18.
“Most common question I get: ‘When’s Season 3 coming out?,’” the show’s creator Dallas Jenkins posted on his Facebook account this week. “I now have the same answer you can give your friends: November 18, Episodes 1 & 2 back to back, only in theaters.”
The first two episodes will only be in theaters a short time before they hit the show’s free streaming platform. The remaining six episodes will launch weekly on the apps in December, Jenkins said.
“The Chosen” will release a theatrical trailer on Oct. 25, the same day tickets for the first two-episodes film go on sale.
The theme for Season 3 of “The Chosen” is based on New Testament scripture Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”
The honeymoon phase of the show is over and the characters all have to deal with the costs and occasional confusions of following the Messiah, said Jenkins, also the show’s writer, director and executive producer.
“On one hand, there’s a little more pain this season, more questions, more challenges to Jesus. On the other hand, that makes the victories that much sweeter,” Jenkins said. “We also see worlds collide a little more this season. The Roman with the Jews, the Pharisees in their pursuit of Jesus. We also see a few new characters fans will be excited about.”
Jenkins hinted that the final two episodes of Season 3 may also be released in theaters.
“I hope we can release the final two episodes in theaters, too,” he said. “The Feeding of the 5,000 demands to be seen on the big screen.”
Jenkins responded to several questions about Season 3 in a second news release. “The Chosen” creator addressed the storyline, character plots, challenges and other possible plans for the forthcoming season.
Deseret News: Now the disciples are well-established characters. How will that affect the way you tell the story in Season 3?
Dallas Jenkins: Now we don’t have to take as much time introducing you to who they are. The audiences know them and connects with them, so now we get to walk with them and connect with them on a deeper level. It’s been fun to be able to go deeper. Like any show you love, growing with the main characters is what keeps you going from season to season.
DN: Judas’ story line picks up with him joining the disciples in Season 3. What should we expect from his character at this stage in the game?
DJ: The Judas storyline is a tricky one. Not only do we need to make it compelling for the audience when they already know the tragic end, we need to answer a few questions that aren’t in the Bible. When did Judas decide to break bad, and what was his motivation?
We do have it planned out, and we like where it’s going. But for us as writers and Luke as an actor, we have to treat Season 3 as though we don’t know the future. What I can tell you is that Season 3 shows why Judas would have been trusted and liked by the other disciples, and why he would have enthusiastically followed Jesus. But it also shows some of the seeds that get planted that will grow in future seasons.
DN: This season Jesus sends his disciples out two-by-two. What’s the significance of your specific pairings of the disciples?
DJ: The Bible doesn’t specify who was paired up with who, so we had fun figuring out interesting combinations and exploring the outcomes of that. We feel like we could do spin-off shows or movies with some of these pairings. Now to be clear, we don’t spend a ton of screen time on their experiences. But the aftermath of it impacts and changes them.
DN: “The Chosen” has featured women characters prominently during Jesus’ ministry. What can we expect from them this season?
DJ: This season you see the women characters start to experience the same things as the men. Not just the closeness but also the bickering and tension. I think it would be patronizing to give women more screen time than they normally get in a Bible project but then make them sweet and wonderful all the time. So, we show all of them experience their own struggles and neuroses, but it just looks a little different from a female perspective than a male one. Our actresses were pretty excited to dig in this year.
DN: Season 3 includes Jesus’ miracle of Feeding the 5,000. What is the significance of that miracle and how did you approach it?
DJ: Like with any miracles we portray in “The Chosen,” it’s less about the miracle than about the specific impact on the people involved. We approached if from the perspective of “How do we make this matter?” We worked hard to make the miracle more than just something cool Jesus did to satisfy some hunger. From the sermon he preached, to the experience of the disciples, to the setting and circumstances that resulted in thousands of people gathering, we put a ton of time into making this miracle the natural result of multiple story lines.
DN: What’s been your greatest challenge or accomplishment during the filming of Season 3?
DJ: The filming of the Feeding of the 5,000 was by far the hardest thing I’ve ever done and will likely ever do as a director. The heat, the responsibility for giving a good experience to thousands of people, the complexity and size of the scenes — overwhelming. But I have hope the final product will bear fruit. It’s going to be quite a season finale.
DN: Simon and Eden’s relationship will be featured more prominently in Season 3. What can you tell us about that, and what informed you as you were writing for them?
DJ: Most people in the world get married, so it makes sense that if we’re going to explore relatable themes and storylines in a Jesus show, we need to see Jesus through the lens of a marriage. Season 3 features a glimpse at many of the issues married couples face, both good and bad: romance, arguments, sex, distance and yes, pain.
Obviously, as a married man of 25 years, many of my own experiences inform the Simon and Eden scenes. And I can promise you, there will be a few scenes where viewers feel like we were copying their own experiences. During filming, multiple crew members said, “Did you have a recording from my home?”
DN: Are there any specific disciples that you feature more prominently this season?
DJ: Our so-called main characters among Jesus’ followers remain Simon, Matthew and Mary Magdalene, with Andrew as an additional key figure, obviously. As to the others, I’d say Little James has what I believe will be one of the most memorable scenes of the season.
DN: How do you hope audiences react to Season 3?
DJ: I hope fans recognize that our show isn’t “miracle of the week.” Yes, the big Bible scenes are fun, and the Jesus miracles are always exciting. But what makes “The Chosen” unique, and what I believe makes those big moments impactful, is the time we take with the characters. We’re in this for the long haul and we take our time to connect the viewer to those who encounter Jesus. I believe there are more scenes than ever this year that viewers will watch and respond with, “That’s me.”