User:Butlerblog/Drafts/The Chosen (season 1)

The Chosen is an American Christian historical drama television series. Created, directed, and co-written by filmmaker Dallas Jenkins, it is the first multi-season series about the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. Primarily set in Judaea and Galilee in the 1st century, the series centers on Jesus and the different people who met and followed or otherwise interacted with him. The series stars Jonathan Roumie as Jesus as well as Shahar Isaac, Elizabeth Tabish, Paras Patel, Noah James, and George H. Xanthis.

After Jenkins noted there had never been a multi-season, episode-based portrayal of Jesus that could be "binge-watched" like shows on streaming mediums such as Netflix, he set out to create the series in partnership with Angel Studios, formerly VidAngel. With the intention of differing from previous portrayals of Jesus, he crafted a story arc which focused more on the people who encountered Jesus and viewed him through their eyes. He has stated in interviews that he sought to present Jesus in a way that was more "personal, intimate, [and] immediate".

The show's producers have primarily used crowdfunding on the Angel Studios platform to finance production, and it continues to be the most successful crowdfunded TV series or film project. Additional revenue comes through licensing to other streaming platforms and TV networks, such as Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, and Netflix. Merchandise and video sales provide additional sources of revenue, as have limited premiere runs in cinemas.

Synopsis
The first season is set in 1st century Galilee, where Jesus starts to build a group for his ministry, inviting several people with different backgrounds. As he performs his first miracles, Jesus calls the redeemed woman Mary Magdalene; the stonemason Thaddeus; the choir member Little James; the fishermen Simon, Andrew, Big James, and John; the caterer Thomas and vintner Ramah; and the tax collector Matthew to follow him. As the group travels through Samaria and following his meeting with Nicodemus, Jesus prepares to launch his public ministry after revealing himself to Photina, a Samaritan woman.

Main cast

 * Shahar Isaac as Simon Peter
 * Jonathan Roumie as Jesus
 * Elizabeth Tabish as Mary Magdalene
 * Paras Patel as Matthew
 * Noah James as Andrew
 * Janis Dardaris as Zohara
 * Lara Silva as Eden
 * Shaan Sharma as Shmuel
 * Nick Shakoour as Zebedee
 * George H. Xanthis as John
 * Shayan Sobhian as Big James (episodes 1–4)
 * Erick Avari as Nicodemus (season 1)
 * Kian Kavousi as Big James (episodes 5–8)
 * Brandon Potter as Quintus
 * Kirk B. R. Woller as Gaius
 * Giavani Cairo as Thaddeus
 * Jordan Walker Ross as Little James

Development
In 2017, working through his production company, Vertical Church Films, Dallas Jenkins released a feature-length film, The Resurrection of Gavin Stone; the film did not perform to the studio's expectations at the box office. While working to determine his next project, Jenkins began binge-watching different television shows and realized there had never been a multi-season show about Jesus that could be watched in the same way.

Jenkins returned to a script for a short film called The Shepherd. Filmed on a friend's farm in Marengo Jenkins wrote the screenplay and intended the film be shown during a Christmas Eve service at his church, Harvest Bible Chapel in Elgin, Illinois. Expanding on that idea, he came up with the concept for The Chosen as a multi-season story arc about the life of Jesus that could build a backstory based on cultural and historical context.

Faith-based video streaming service VidAngel, now Angel Studios, became aware of The Shepherd and showed interest in expanding on the concept of a Jesus-based series. At the time, VidAngel was involved in a lawsuit with major Hollywood studios and thus seeking original content to distribute. They suggested putting the short film on Facebook as a series pilot to see if interest would be generated for a multi-season show. Jenkins expressed that he was not totally on-board with the potential of crowdfunding, but decided to give the platform a try. The short film received over 15 million views around the world.

VidAngel, along with Jenkins and video marketing strategist Derral Eves, turned to the crowdfunding business model to produce The Chosen. A provision in the JOBS Act that went into effect in 2016 allowed them to offer shares of ownership and profits from the production rather than the arbitrary perks offered by regular crowdfunding. At the end of January 2019, the first fundraising round had raised over $10.2 million from more than 16,000 investors for the project, which surpassed Mystery Science Theater 3000 as the top crowdfunded TV series project. Each investor received equity in "The Chosen LLC", which is regulated by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Their equity stake allows them to share in profits not only from the show itself but also from other revenue sources, such as merchandise, books, and Bible-study materials. Majority shareholders will not receive a share of the profits until the original investors earn 120% of their investments.

Script
In contrast with typical Bible-focused productions, Jenkins has given more depth to his scripts by adding backstories to various characters from the gospels without contradicting material that is present. This is noted in the opening credits of the first episode, which include the following:"The Chosen is based on the true stories of the gospels of Jesus Christ. Some locations and timelines have been combined or condensed. Backstories and some characters or dialogue have been added. However, all biblical and historical context and any artistic imagination are designed to support the truth and intention of the Scriptures. Viewers are encouraged to read the gospels. The original names, locations and phrases have been translated into English for anything spoken."

Although the show has an evangelical tendency, there are consultants from three Christian faith traditions providing input. Acting as consultants are Messianic rabbi Jason Sobel from Fusion Global Ministries; Catholic priest and national director of Family Theater Productions Father David Guffey; and professor of New Testament at Biola University Dr. Doug Huffman. They review scripts and provide facts or context on the biblical, cultural, and socio-political history of the storyline. Orthodox Jewish theologian David Nekrutman was appointed as adviser for the show's fourth season.

Jenkins said he draws creative inspiration from shows like Friday Night Lights and The Wire, whereas writers Ryan Swanson and Tyler Thompson list The Wire, Game of Thrones, Battlestar Galactica, and Star Trek as their influences.

Casting
The show features many people of color as actors, which is not often the case in television and film based on the Bible. Jenkins avoided "big stars" and "white people", trying instead to re-create a picture of 1st-century Capernaum—which, being on a trade route, would have reflected a diversity of ethnicities and backgrounds.

Various members of the cast have described a deep connection to the show, the story, and their character. Elizabeth Tabish, who was considering leaving her acting career, described it as a "dream role." Jonathan Roumie said he always aims to "empty out as much of himself as possible" to allow the Holy Spirit to work in him through both the script and his performance onscreen. In describing his preparation for the role, Roumie said that he does "a good bit of reading and rereading the source material" but that most of the preparation is "in the spiritual department". He said his accent is based on a combination of the accents of his father, who is from Egypt, and his sister-in-law, who is from Palestine.

Filming
Season 1 was filmed over 60 days mostly around Pooleville and Weatherford, Texas, supplemented by a sound stage and visual effects in a Dallas studio. After searching online for suitable locations, the producers settled on the existing Capernaum Village in Pooleville, a venue that offers both film set rental and live experiences for tourists.

Music
To compose the music for the series, creator Dallas Jenkins called on a longtime friend, Jars of Clay vocalist and songwriter Dan Haseltine. Haseltine had worked on projects with Jenkins in the past, composing the music for Hometown Legend. Initially, Haseltine was not interested, believing that there were plenty of similar projects and that the world didn't need another "cheesy Jesus story". After Jenkins convinced him that The Chosen would be different, Haseltine brought in fellow Jars of Clay multi-instrumentalist Matthew S. Nelson to assist with composition. Haseltine has noted that musical influences include Middle Eastern, Indian drone, Delta Blues, and "slave spirituals".

Themes
Executive producer Dallas Jenkins wanted to produce a multi-season series about Jesus that viewers could binge watch. Hoping to distinguish the series from previous portrayals of Jesus, Jenkins wanted to "encounter Jesus through the eyes of those who actually met Him", presenting a story that would be more "personal, intimate, [and] immediate."

The show gives backstories to both the characters and the settings. For instance, there are storylines that explore vice and addiction, autism, and physical disability. Writing for The New York Times, Ruth Graham points out that themes within the storylines include "complex relationships, suspense, political intrigue, and charged emotional moments". In The Atlantic, Chris DeVille described themes including marital conflict and financial struggles.

Jenkins also highlights the fact that there were key moments in which women were intentionally chosen by Jesus to be a vital part of his ministry.

Streaming and broadcast
The first season was initially released on VidAngel's subscription service and also available for DVD purchase. Initially, viewership was sluggish. Then, during the COVID-19 pandemic in March and April 2020, the first season was made freely available through The Chosen app, at which time viewership spiked. Jenkins stated that revenue actually went up after they made it free to watch, attributing it to "God's impossible math." The producers have since made the free-to-watch model permanent, using a pay-it-forward model for viewers to contribute funding to make it free for others.

Primary distribution continues to be through their own app and website. New episodes typically premiere via livestream on YouTube and Facebook, and then released on the app and website. The app includes bonus content, such as Bible round-tables and exclusive "after-show" content, as well as an opportunity for viewers to make tax-deductible contributions to fund production.

Reception
The show's popularity began largely as an underground phenomenon, going unnoticed and unreviewed by major publications. Until it was added to Peacock in 2021, The Chosen was not available on any major cable network or streaming service, but it was still able to achieve more than 300 million streaming views in that time. A large portion of its funding has been raised through crowdsourcing. The success of the series is attributed to artistic storytelling and cultural relevance, while staying true to the message of the gospels. The creators credit the success of the series to a desire for quality faith-based content.

Reviews
The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 100 percent of critics have given season 1 a positive review based on nine reviews, with an average rating of 7.80/10.

Awards and accolades
Episode 8 from season 1 ("I Am He") earned two Movieguide Award nominations in 2020: the Epiphany Prize for Inspiring Television Program for the series and the Grace Prize, Television for Jonathan Roumie, the actor who portrays Jesus.

In 2021, the series went on to win the K-Love Fan Awards' Best Film/Television Impact category; and in 2022, the Dove Awards' Inspirational Film/Series of the Year and the Museum of the Bible's Pillar Award.

Marketing
Jenkins and VidAngel initially focused on social media to promote their idea for the show by releasing the short film The Shepherd on Facebook. After the first season of the show was released, they began to utilize their pay-it-forward model to assist with promotion. In addition, Jenkins has built a large following of fans by regularly hosting livestream events and "viewing parties." The production company employs a dedicated social media staff as well as a dedicated video team for "behind-the-scenes" coverage that is used in social media promotion. According to Jenkins, their success is based on direct communication with viewers.

Promotional trailers are also developed to appeal to specific denominations.

Merchandising
To complement its crowd-sourced fundraising model, The Chosen generates revenue through merchandise sales including T-shirts, hats, books, and DVDs. In addition to offering general merchandise, The Chosen has partnered with Christian publishers such as David C. Cook and Broadstreet Publishing to produce companion study guides, devotionals, and Bible study materials. The show is also being adapted into a series of graphic novels by Corvus Comics.

After the soundtrack for season 1 had been released, songwriter Dan Haseltine believes there will be additional projects by other artists influenced and inspired by the series.