‘The Chosen’ Plans Biblical Universe: Moses and Joseph Shows, Plus Animated and Unscripted Spinoffs (EXCLUSIVE)

As a seasoned media analyst with a penchant for biblical narratives and a soft spot for heartwarming Christmas stories, I find myself thoroughly intrigued by Dallas Jenkins’ ambitious endeavors. His journey from seven seasons of “The Chosen” to shorter series like Joseph and the Acts of the Apostles, not to mention his upcoming feature “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” is a testament to his relentless pursuit of authentic storytelling.

I, as a passionate supporter, am thrilled to share that Dallas Jenkins, the brilliant mind behind “The Chosen,” has established 5&2 Studios. This creative powerhouse is bustling with a lineup of upcoming projects! Among them, an animated series, an exhilarating unscripted show featuring Bear Grylls, and a captivating multi-season adaptation of the epic tale of Moses.

5&2 Studios, as stated in their mission, intends to create stories inspired by the Bible using genuine and relatable storytelling methods, along with audience interaction. Jenkins was scheduled to reveal the new studio, his upcoming project plans, and the release of the final two seasons of “The Chosen” at this weekend’s “ChosenCon” in Orlando, Florida. This fan event, spanning two days, includes cast members and producers from the series, which portrays the life of Jesus (played by Jonathan Roumie). The series started as a crowdfunded indie short back in 2017 but has since grown into a worldwide phenomenon.

In recent months, a mediator decided to dissolve the partnership between Jenkins’ The Chosen LLC and Angel Studios, granting Jenkins control over “The Chosen” as he develops 5&2 Studios. Starting from Season 6, “The Chosen” will explore the narrative of the Crucifixion, with Season 7 concentrating on Jesus’ Resurrection. Each season will comprise eight episodes and will feature a worldwide cinema launch for expanded Crucifixion and Resurrection episodes.

I’ve been following the innovative approach of “The Chosen” since its debut, encompassing their app, theater, traditional broadcasts, and streaming platforms. Production for season 5 commenced in April and concluded in July, with an anticipated release next spring.

Simultaneously, “The Chosen” progresses, marking the debut of the first series from 5&2 Studios – an animated spin-off titled “The Chosen Adventures”. This fresh interpretation of the Jesus story will cater to a younger audience, boasting voice talents such as Paul Walter Hauser (“Black Bird”) and Yvonne Orji (“Insecure”).

In the same period and environment as “The Chosen,” an animated show is planned, with its narrative centering around Jesus’ encounters with a band of youngsters he comes across in the wilderness.

Jenkins explained, “We have space to narrate the tale of Jesus from a child’s perspective using the imaginative style of animation. We found an intriguing concept in visualizing Jesus through children’s eyes. While we won’t delve deeper into this idea in our main series, we thought it could be captivating to create an animated spin-off that is both clever and enjoyable for both kids and adults. Our goal is to ensure this project isn’t just acceptable, but truly loved by the audience.

As a movie enthusiast, I’m thrilled to announce that “The Chosen in the Wild with Bear Grylls” is an upcoming six-episode adventure series set for production this fall. In this exhilarating journey, I, as a devoted fan of “The Chosen,” will be joining forces on camera with Bear Grylls, known for his survival skills in “Man vs. Wild.” Together, we’ll face an array of intriguing challenges, making this series one you won’t want to miss!

Jenkins stated, “This is just the beginning of several collaborations in the reality TV genre. As an adventurous outdoorsman, I’m a bit apprehensive about what lies ahead. However, I’m ready to step up and be part of the team. The concept is to join forces with others who have substantial followings, allowing us to introduce our unique content into their spheres.

Following the conclusion of “The Chosen”, Jenkins intends to pen, direct, and oversee the following major project: a three-part series chronicling the life of Moses for his subsequent flagship program.

Jenkins pointed out that among all the stories in the Bible, none have been as influential on popular culture, history, language, and imagery as the tale of Moses. He likened Moses to a reluctant character like Tony Soprano from “The Sopranos,” who was assigned the role of leading the world’s largest family – a task he didn’t want. Unlike Tony Soprano, who constantly fought for power, Moses was more about giving it up. Yet, God chose Moses to lead one of the most significant religious and cultural movements in history. Despite his lack of qualifications, Moses was given the difficult task of confronting oppressors and slave owners, persuading them to free the Jewish people. To make things even harder, he had a speech impediment.

Jenkins noted that much like ‘The Chosen’ series invites us to ponder what it might have been like to encounter Jesus, to follow or resist Him, the Moses story raises an identical query,” he said.

Jenkins explained that he plans to split the three seasons based on the “three phases of the Moses tale.” The first phase is the liberation from Egypt, the second encompasses the Red Sea crossing, their exodus, journey towards the promised land. The final season, however, will depict what happens after the 40 years of wandering in the desert – the conquest of the promised land. Unfortunately, Moses won’t witness this as he passes on his leadership beforehand.

In the future, Jenkins plans to work on shorter series instead of extended ones like “The Chosen,” which ran for seven seasons. He expressed that such an extensive commitment has made him realize he doesn’t want to take on another seven-season project again. While some of this preference might stem from laziness, he believes it could also result in three exceptional seasons, each containing eight to 10 episodes.

Currently, we’re working on two different projects – a collection centered around the Acts of the Apostles, and a mini-series focusing on the life of Joseph.

In my perspective as a movie reviewer, ‘Joseph’ is a tale that unfolds beautifully across eight captivating episodes. The writers we have on board are passionate admirers of ‘The Chosen’, and they aim to leave their unique mark while staying faithful to the larger narrative. Every filmmaker and storyteller we collaborate with shares our deep affection for the original series, and they’re not here to redefine our creative process.

In the process of establishing 5&2 Studios, I’m actively engaging in discussions with streamers regarding potential exclusive partnerships, not just for “The Chosen”, but also for the broader universe we’re developing.

“The mothership show will always be free, we promised that, and we’ll never change that,” he said. “The other projects, it will depend. If there’s a streamer that is willing to pay enough to sustain us and make sure that we don’t have to ask people for money, then that’s great. We’re going to talk about exclusive windows and all of that. But we always are going to have a heart to make sure that people who can’t afford to pay for it, or particularly in third world countries, that they have access to it. One of the things that’s going to decide who we work with is who’s willing to ensure that we can be sustainable for the next ten-plus years of making these projects and not have to what I always call ‘dance for nickels ‘on live streams, while at the same time recognizing that there is a large chunk of the world who does need to see this for free.”

Regarding the level of assertiveness Jenkins will display towards 5&2 Studios, he advises against drawing comparisons to expansive creative realms such as Marvel or Star Wars.

He mentioned that while Marvel and Star Wars are two franchises he adores, they’ve occasionally faced issues with excessive content production, which isn’t a criticism. Instead, our approach will continue to be: “Does this narrative demand a unique storytelling method from us?” Meaning, does it fit our specific style, perspective, the ‘Chosen’ approach. We prioritize authenticity and human connections. If the tale requires an enormous scale, as in the case of a Ridley Scott production or a big studio doing a historical epic with swords and sandals, we’ll leave that to others, as they can handle it just as effectively.

Meanwhile, it’s worth mentioning that Jenkins is also responsible for the upcoming movie titled “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” produced by Lionsgate and adapted from Barbara Robinson’s book of the same name. This film features Judy Greer and Pete Holmes as the main stars and will be released in theaters on November 8th.

“Judy and Pete give the movie a kind of tone that I really want for this, because it’s not a soft Hallmark-y kind of movie, which there’s nothing wrong with those, but I’m really excited for the fact that like the book, it’s very sharp and very witty,” he said. “It’s not just a cheesy kids slapstick Christmas movie, but I think it’s for adults as well. And Judy and Pete are evidence of that. It’s a Nativity story for everybody.”

2024-09-21 00:47

‘The Chosen’ Plans Biblical Universe: Moses and Joseph Shows, Plus Animated and Unscripted Spinoffs (EXCLUSIVE)

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