Like he really needs the money from sellingChosen-inspired coffee cups and hoodies.
Those are my favorite things.
DEADLINEThe Chosencan now be found on multiple platforms, including The CW.
Dallas JenkinsCourtesy of ‘The Chosen’
Youve got that relatively newworldwide distribution deal with Lionsgate.
Do you feel like an official member of Hollywood now?
When nitro meets glycerin, the best of both worlds combined!
I love having my foot in both waters.
DEADLINE You got an interim agreement to film the fourth season.
How were you able to achieve that?
JENKINSLike anyone else, you agree to the SAG terms that the AMPTP currently isnt agreeing to.
We had to do it.
We had two weeks left of filming.
As an independent it made it easier for us to come to this agreement with SAG.
DEADLINE What are your thoughts about the ongoing strike?
JENKINSI understand the struggle from both sides.
I also understand the perspective of someone whose job it is to find financing for future seasons.
It is an extraordinarily difficult time.
So there are parts of this dispute that I understand from both sides.
JENKINSIts a little bit of a mix.
Thats what happened when I was mowing the lawn.
I was binge watching The Wire on HBO and I came up with the idea for the Jesus show.
The Wire is a terrific show.
Its similar to what happened in first century Galilee.
Theres political, sociopolitical, religious divisions, and then there are people on the ground.
The Chosen explores all of that, the relationships and the divisions.
The Wire had a big influence.
DEADLINE Do you have a bible, so to speak, for the whole entire run of the show?
We have plotted out the seven seasons.
If you are watching on The CW, as people are wrapping up season two heading into season three.
They should know that when we started, we knew where we were going.
We knew how this would end.
We thinking the seventh season now.
DEADLINEWhen will the crucifixion occur?
JENKINSSeason six and the resurrection will occur in season seven.
DEADLINE Do you have a writers room?
Or are you it?
JENKINSThere are two other writers.
Three of us write every episode.
DEADLINEWith success comes the requisite criticism and how you have taken liberties with the story.
How do you respond to that?
JENKINSWe make no secret of the fact and are proud to say we are not the Bible.
We are a TV show.
Throughout Hollywoods existence, there have been movies and television shows made about historical figures.
We disagree and so we are not begging people to watch it.
DEADLINE Do you have a set list of dos and donts?
Like, I wont approach this the way, say, Mel Gibson would?
We dont show a white King James version of a speaking Jesus.
We dont want this to feel formal or presented.
Were obsessed with trying to be as authentic as possible, as human as possible.
Im not trying to compete with anybody else.
DEADLINE You dont have a lot of competition in this space.
Theres not a lot of people like you making this content.
Does that mean the bar is low when it comes to appealing to the viewers?
Maybe we get some bonus points for that.
So you are not required to be a Christian to watch this show.
It allows us to stand out even in these arenas that are outside of the faith space.
I want art to have diversity.
So I think that that does help us.
DEADLINE The reaction by some people to yourLionsgatedeal was interesting.
One person even said that you pulled a Judas.
Do you think theres a fear among your biggest fans that youre becoming part of the Hollywood machine?
Theyve seen it before.
There is a segment of the audience that feels like theyve been burned in the past.
Theyre getting this content into areas where it might not normally be.
