'The Chosen', Season 4: 'Intensity of Jesus' purpose coming into focus'

Clashing kingdoms. Rival rulers. The enemies of Jesus close in while His followers struggle to keep up, leaving him to carry the burden alone. – The Chosen, Season 4

LOS ANGELES -- With the premiere of The Chosen’s Season 4 upon us, fans anticipating more of the same may be surprised by what they encounter from the eight new episodes. Seen as a transitional year in the highly-sought after program’s seven season arc, viewers will be challenged with the most intense, mature, and challenging themes yet.

“In the ministry of Jesus, we saw a year of preparation, a year of prosperity, and a year of persecution,” explains The Chosen director Dallas Jenkins. “We are transitioning from the year of prosperity into the year of persecution. It's getting too big for the Pharisees. It's getting too big for the Romans. Something's got to change. We will see that this season.”

“It's not that the honeymoon is completely over, but the intensity of Jesus's purpose is coming into focus,” agrees Jonathan Roumie, who portrays Jesus on the show. “Seeing the very human, flawed disciples, reconcile that is what we begin to really explore this season. It might throw a few people, but it's the reality of what He would've gone through.”

Many in the cast welcome the challenges and hardships Season 4 presents, thankful for storylines that not only build character but ones that will eventually propel the greatest story ever told to its triumphant ending.

Noah James, who portrays the disciple Andrew, has been with the series since the beginning. He believes Season 4 will challenge viewers to take the teachings of Jesus and implement them into their own life.

“It's one thing to understand it intellectually,” the 34-year-old James notes. “It's a whole other thing to live it out. And so that can be a really difficult journey, but that's what I was so happy to try to bring to the table with Andrew this season.”

Paras Patel, who has won over audiences during the first three seasons with his portrayal of wide-eyed yet reluctant tax collector Matthew, is excited for viewers to see the growth in his character.

“With respect to Matthew, you're going to see him just try to be the best person he can be,” says Patel, who has also appeared in the hit movie Jesus Revolution. “He’s going to be that scribe. You're really going to see him just trying to learn and understand what's going on because there's a lot happening. You can see it in Jesus, that he's burdened now.”

With each new season comes added pressure for the cast and crew to accurately tell the story of Jesus to the world. And why not? The numbers surrounding the success of the show are tremendous and growing. According to a 2022 analysis commissioned by the show’s producers, 108 million people had seen at least part of one episode via the many platforms where the show is available. Furthermore, it has been translated into more than 600 languages. Those numbers will most assuredly grow during Season 4.

“There is pressure on us for sure, yet when we're actually filming, you really have to let that go and tune it out because we know that we're trying to tell this story the best way we possibly can,” James explains. “We can't be focused on the outside stuff. For us, once we start filming, it feels very intimate and very small.”

“I've been in this space for a touch,” explains Roma Downey, an actress best known for her star turn on the hit television series Touched By An Angel.  “I started in 1994, trying to bring stories of faith, trying to remind people that God is very real. My husband (Mark Burnett) and I tried to do this with The Bible mini-series. So, this is a space I’m very familiar with. This story needs to be retold to a new generation. The Chosen is THE series for this generation. We need these stories now more than ever.”

In a phased release, The Chosen will debut episodes 1-3 in movie theaters nationwide on February 1st, to be followed by episodes 4-6 on February 15th, and episodes 7-8 to complete the month-long cinematic run on February 29th. All episodes will move to various streaming platforms in early March.

This approach will be the first time ever that a full season of a television streaming series will make its debut in movie theaters rather than a normal release on the Internet.

“In our heart and soul we believe the season demands to be seen on the big screen,” Jenkins shares. “The themes are bigger, the setting is bigger. Seeing it in surround sound and on the big screen is a special experience that you can't replicate. It’s also because of the experience of watching with other people, laughing and crying together. There's going to be quite a bit of that this season.”

WATCH A TRAILER FOR SEASON 4 OF THE CHOSEN: