The groundbreaking faith-based series "The Chosen" is once again defying conventional TV norms with its theatrical launch strategy for season five, subtitled "The Chosen: Last Supper" — a season that star Jonathan Roumie says is the series' "best yet."
The new season of the hit show that follows the lives of Jesus and disciples will debut in theaters beginning March 27, 2025, just weeks before Easter, marking a milestone for 5&2 Studios, the production company helmed by series creator and executive producer Dallas Jenkins.
The fifth season will follow a theatrical release model across eight episodes, divided into three parts over a four-week run in the U.S. and Canada.
The logline for "The Chosen: Last Supper" teases a season fraught with tension and drama: "The table is set. The people of Israel welcome Jesus as king while his disciples anticipate his crowning. But — instead of confronting Rome — he turns the tables on the Jewish religious festival. Their power threatened, the country's religious and political leaders will go to any length to ensure this Passover meal is Jesus' last."
Part one, featuring episodes 1 and 2, will hit theaters on March 27. Part two, comprising episodes 3 through 5, will follow on April 3, with the final installment, Part three (episodes 6 through 8), arriving on April 17.
The season's international rollout, distributed by Trafalgar Releasing, will begin April 10, reaching audiences in more than 40 territories, including Brazil, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and India. For fans unable to catch the theatrical run, the fifth season will stream later in 2025.
Roumie, who plays Jesus in "The Chosen" and spoke with The Christian Post last month on the red carpet of "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever," recently reiterated his belief that the forthcoming series will be the "most intense, most spiritual season" to date.
"The rubber hits the road at this point," Roumie said." We're in the final days of Jesus's ministry and earthly life."
"I think it's our best season yet, and people will see a range of emotions and actions from Jesus that they've never seen anywhere else, really, for that matter. So it's really exciting," he added.
Jenkins, who began production on the season in April and wrapped filming in July, said he's "more excited to bring season five to the world than any other season we've done."
"Unfortunately, it's not coming until March, but that's because it's such a huge season and requires a ton of work. But I'm so thrilled to show this first glimpse of it with the poster and the teaser and for our fans," he said in a statement.
Watch the season five trailer of "The Chosen" below:
Jenkins and his newly formed 5&2 Studios are leveraging the momentum of "The Chosen" to create a broader storytelling universe.
Projects currently in development include "The Chosen Adventures," an animated series reimagining the story of Jesus for younger audiences with a voice cast featuring Paul Walter Hauser.
Jenkins told CP that the series is full of "whimsy, whit and biblical truths" that families can enjoy together.
"A children's show isn't intended to, nor is it ever going to, take you all the way into the depth of the Jesus story that you're going to get as you get a little bit older," he said. "You hear the story overall, but because you're not an adult, you can't totally identify with the pain and suffering. This is still a show for kids; we're not getting in there and trying to scare them or anything like that. It's going to be covering biblical truths, but it's designed to ease them into some of these stories. It's going to engage them with Scripture, and then hopefully that's going to supplement the mothership show as well."
Another series, "The Chosen in the Wild with Bear Grylls," is a six-episode adventure series set to begin filming this fall.
Grylls told CP he's excited to bring the adventure of faith and survival together, helping audiences witness Jesus' disciples through a new lens — one that mirrors the challenges of the wild.
"What we've tried to do with 'The Chosen in the Wild' is get to know the real people and show their real journey," Grylls said.
"Isn't that the same with 'The Chosen'? It shows the real reality of what Jesus was like in their relationships and their journey. ... It's the element of faith I've always responded best to and not the fluff of it all, the rules and the regulations and the do's and the don't, but actually, as 'The Chosen' shows, as Jesus shows, 'Keep your eyes on me, you'll be OK. Then you won't sink in the water.' I felt that in my own life many times, through many adventures. It feels like a really special pairing to bring the best of 'Running Wild' to 'The Chosen' and to allow fans to see their favorite actors in a way that they never do normally."
Beyond "The Chosen," Jenkins is planning a three-season series centered on the life of Moses, poised to become his next flagship project.
Jenkins said that season six of "The Chosen" will dramatize the Crucifixion, while season seven will center on the Resurrection. Both seasons will include extended episodes slated for theatrical release.
