The Chosen, a crowdfunded TV series following the life of Jesus and his disciples, is hosting its first fan convention this weekend in Dallas. Now entering its fourth season, the series has become a massive success — garnering over 600 million episode views so far, according to the show — despite starting out without the backing of a Hollywood studio or a well-known creator or star.
It has been praised by fans for its high production value and ability to humanize characters with scripts that add nuance and detail to Biblical accounts. As of 2021, it had raised more than $40 million for the production of its first three seasons.
Organizers say the show’s ChosenCon is expecting 3,500 attendees at the Hilton Anatole hotel in Dallas, many of whom will be driving or flying in for the event.
The convention will feature meet-and-greets with the show’s creator, Dallas Jenkins, and cast members such as Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus. The schedule also includes a performance from Christian singer-songwriter Matt Maher; a book signing with Jenkins’ father, Jerry B. Jenkins, co-author of the blockbuster apocalyptic fiction series Left Behind; and breakout sessions with Christian influencers and content creators known for following The Chosen.
In-person tickets for the convention sold out in under 36 hours, said Katherine Warnock, the show’s vice president of original content. Virtual tickets, which include access to live-streamed events and special announcements, are still available.
Warnock’s team wanted to host ChosenCon in Dallas to keep the convention “close to home base,” she said. Parts of season 3 were filmed in Midlothian, and Angel Studios confirmed that upcoming seasons 4-7 will film there. Last year in Midlothian, The Chosen finished building a Biblical village, a 30,000-square-foot soundstage and other production facilities that together cost millions.
The Chosen has other ties to North Texas, including Fort Worth actor Jordan Ross, who plays the apostle Little James on the show and is the grandson of longtime character actor Barry Corbin.
ChosenCon is a way for the show to thank and connect with its fans, Warnock said. “The uniqueness of what we’re doing at The Chosen goes far past just the content creation … Not only does the community element literally fund the series, but it also is the entire heartbeat of how we’ve organically grown into a global phenomenon.”
Thousands of fans traveled to Midlothian last year to be extras in a scene depicting the Bible story where Jesus feeds over 5,000 people with just five loaves and two fishes. Most made their own costumes. “There were some at ‘Feeding of the 5,000′ that were dressed so immaculately, so fantastic, that they donated their costumes” to the show, and those costumes were then used in filming season 4, Warnock said.
Her team monitors online Chosen fan communities, she explained, and has already seen fans posting pictures of the costumes they plan to wear to ChosenCon. “People are going to come dressed, like true ‘con’ style, dressed in first-century garb. So we’re super-excited.”
Adrienne Bankert, a NewsNation anchor who created a special about the message and impact of The Chosen, agreed with Warnock that the show’s community has been a key part of its success.
Bankert said she first learned about The Chosen when a friend showed her a clip while they were out to lunch, saying that the show mainly grew at first through word-of-mouth interactions like that one. “I think that a lot of media still considers faith stories taboo,” she said, citing the initial lack of coverage of the show, despite its financial success.
She hopes the success of The Chosen will help break that taboo. “I think there’s millions of people excited to see that the stories they care to hear about are being told with excellence,” she said.
Details
Oct. 14-15, Hilton Anatole, 2201 N. Stemmons Freeway, Dallas. Virtual tickets are $45 plus fees.
Joy Ashford covers faith and religion in North Texas for The Dallas Morning News through a partnership with Report for America.
