"The Chosen" Launches Production of Season 4

The hit series about the life of Christ begins filming today in Texas.

Lead actor Jonathan Roumie appears in a scene from Season 3. Image: "The Chosen"/screenshot from YouTube.

Having taken their lumps from bitter winter cold and brutal summer heat during production of each of the last two seasons, the team behind The Chosen is hoping for some Goldilocks weather this time around, meaning just right. Show creator and director Dallas Jenkins and his cast and crew are now shooting the first scenes of Season 4 at their set in Midlothian, TX, south of Dallas-Fort Worth.

Dallas Jenkins (left) and actor George Xantis discuss a scene during production of Season 3 in Texas. Image: "The Chosen"/from Instagram.

As was the case with the preceding three seasons, this one will consist of eight episodes, which Jenkins hopes to begin releasing toward the end of this year, though no firm dates have been set. With forecasted highs in the 70s (Fahrenheit) and lows in the 50s over the course of the next month, the weather should prove cooperative. While no production wrap date has been announced, they are no doubt hoping to be done well before summer.

That is in part because Texas can be subject to weather extremes: the cast and crew endured a blistering heatwave during filming of Season 3 last June, as we reported at the time, and Jenkins subsequently pointed to that as "the toughest moment" of his career. The previous year, it was a major winter storm that roiled production of Season 2 in February, causing delays, cost overruns, and a call for prayer from fans to relieve the weather-induced misery.

This time around, spring conditions should help the 47-year-old filmmaker and his team, as will the enormous soundstage they have constructed at their primary permanent set, which will allow them to keep production going even if inclement weather nixes shooting outdoors for a few days. The show also plans to film some scenes at an ancient Jerusalem set in Utah, as has been the case for previous seasons.

While the Jesus character - played by Jonathan Roumie - and the 12 Apostles will obviously headline Season 4, there is no word on what the primary storylines are to be. Christian Film Blog will, however, follow developments closely and bring you updates, so be sure to check in with us regularly.