On Wednesday (Jan. 17), the cast and crew of the hit series “The Chosen” converged on the “teal carpet” at the historic Ace Hotel in Los Angeles for the show’s Season 4 premiere.
For the first time in the series’ history, an entire season of “The Chosen” will debut in theaters before it is released to the show’s app.
Dallas Jenkins, the show’s creator, director, co-writer, and co-producer, believes Season 4 “is the richest season yet, the deepest, and most mature of the entire series.”
ChurchLeaders asked Jenkins, who is the son of celebrated “Left Behind” author Jerry Jenkins, how growing up in a Christian household and watching his father’s accomplishments has influenced his work on “The Chosen”—one of the most-watched shows in the world with over 200 million viewers.
RELATED: ‘It Is Finished’—Season 4 of ‘The Chosen’ Is Ready To Hit Theaters in February
“I think the thing that I learned from my dad more than anything, besides obviously inheriting his love of storytelling, his sense of humor, and his hard work ethic, is how he responded when ‘Left Behind’ did something similar to ‘The Chosen,'” Jenkins replied.
Jenkins was referring to the success of his father’s fictional rapture book series “Left Behind.” The series has sold nearly 80 million copies, has been featured on the bestseller’s list multiple times, and has inspired several films.
In a 2014 film adaptation, Academy Award-winning actor Nicolas Cage played Rayford Steele, the lead in the series, and Lea Thompson played Irene Steele.
RELATED: Official Trailer for ‘The Chosen,’ Season 4, Shows ‘Man of Sorrows, Acquainted With Grief’
The success “humbled him,” Jenkins said. “It brought him closer to God. It made him realize, ‘I’m not this good, only God could do something like this.’”
“So that was a good precursor for I think what we’re experiencing at ‘The Chosen,'” Jenkins concluded.
Episodes 1-3 of Season 4 will release in theaters on Feb. 1. Episodes 4-6 will release on Feb. 15, and Episodes 7-8 will release on Feb. 29. Tickets are available here.
