The Chosen: A symphony of light, shadow, and spirit
Christians around the world observe this week as Holy Week. They reflect on their lives and repent for the wrongs they have committed. It is also a time to remember the sacrifice of their Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave his life on the cross to atone for the sins of humanity. During this period, believers meditate on the cross and the love God has shown them. Keeping this historic truth alive, the series The Chosen has helped many experience the true depth of Jesus’ sacrifice.
As Season 5 of the series, titled The Chosen: The Last Supper, is now being screened in theatres, director Dallas Jenkins shares that this season is the biggest and most intense one yet. “We used widescreen cameras to fully capture the magnitude of Holy Week. It truly demands to be seen on the big screen, and the experience is incredibly profound,” he adds.
But it certainly isn’t easy to create something of this calibre, is it? So much must have gone into the scenes, the acting, the set, and so on. Dallas says, “I prefer the smaller, intimate scenes, so filming scenes like Jesus turning over the tables in the temple and cracking a whip with hundreds of people were challenging for me. But I’m thrilled with how it turned out.”
The experience of shooting The Chosen has been life-changing for him, especially due to the impact his work has had globally. Despite the challenges, Dallas feels it’s worth it when they receive such meaningful responses from audiences in India.
He reveals, “Though I love all seasons, I’m more excited to bring Season 5 to the world than any other. It’s just so significant. The events of Holy Week weren’t just words on a page — they were real, life-changing moments that impacted real people. My hope is that viewers will feel the intimacy and emotional depth of these famous moments, often depicted as paintings or stained-glass windows.”
Speaking about balancing historical and biblical accuracy with artistic storytelling, he explains, “When we fill in gaps in scripture or history with human moments and artistic licence, we never want to contradict the character or intentions of Jesus and the gospels. Our additions might not be facts, but we want them to reflect the truth. We believe we’re doing that appropriately, and we’re always reminding people we’re a TV show, not actual scripture, encouraging them to read the Bible for the ultimate truth.”
Elaborating on the fifth season, Dallas notes that some performances stood out. “I think Luke Dimyan as Judas and Richard Fancy as Caiaphas really brought layers and depth to these historical figures that we haven’t seen portrayed before. I feel that way about the whole cast, but I believe these two might be the most surprising for audiences,” he points out.
But when asked whether the atmosphere on the set shifted every time he directed Jonathan Roumie (Jesus) in spiritually charged scenes, he reveals, “Any time we do an emotional or spiritually deep scene, especially with Jonathan as Jesus, it requires a little more space on set. Yes, we need to be quieter and make fewer jokes so that we’re not distracting him from the emotional place he needs to be in. And that’s true for all our actors.”
Prabhu Krupakar, project director of The Chosen: Last Supper, Hyderabad, shares his thoughts on the screening, saying, “For the first time ever, The Chosen is coming to the big screen in India. This Holy Week, audiences are witnessing a powerful depiction of the final days of Jesus’ life in cinemas across the country. We’re grateful to our exhibition partners who, in response to fan enthusiasm, have opened more screens, especially in Hyderabad.”
He praises the cast and crew for making The Chosen a visual masterpiece and adds, “Watching it in a theatre brings a whole new level of immersion. It’s like standing in front of Da Vinci’s Last Supper — you’re struck not just by the beauty, but by the depth of the story. The series will play in cinemas through April 24.”