Filming began this week on Season 4 of The Chosen, with cast and crew gathering at the series' new home near Midlothian, Texas, to continue the Bible-based story that has become a worldwide hit.
"We're back," the series' official Instagram and Facebook pages said Monday, accompanied by a photo of the clapperboard used on set. Days earlier, the official social media accounts said filming for Season 4 would begin this week.
The series, which follows the story of Jesus and His disciples, has reached an estimated 108 million people worldwide since the launch of Season 1, according to its distributor, Angel Studios. Total streams topped 500 million in recent months, according to the studio.
It is available to watch, for free, on The Chosen app and the Angel Studios app.
This is the second season that The Chosen will be filmed on the series' new 900-acre home near Midlothian, Texas, which includes a 30,000-square-foot soundstage and a replica first-century village.
"It feels like you're in Capernaum, 2,000 years ago," actor Noah James, who portrays Andrew, told Christian Headlines. "It's unbelievable. … You feel like you can really seep yourself in the time and feel the authenticity."
Joey Vahedi, who portrays Thomas, said the series' popularity is reflected in the actors' public notoriety. He's often recognized when in public, he said.
"When we were shooting in Texas, I went to grab some barbecue at a restaurant. And this guy, while I'm sitting down, walks up and stares at me just for a long time. He ended up coming over, and he said, 'Hey, are you Thomas in The Chosen?'"
The man showed Vahedi a business card he had been handing to strangers. It said, "Watch The Chosen." The man had handed out 500 of them.
"Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that I would meet somebody doing something like that," Vahedi said. "It's a testament to the show."
Photo courtesy: ©The Chosen, used with permission.
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
