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SALT LAKE CITY — Dallas Jenkins grinned ear to ear in his latest livestream when he announced how fans of "The Chosen" can finally watch Season 4.
Season 4 premiered in theaters earlier this year but was delayed in coming to streaming due to a legal dispute between "The Chosen" and Angel Studios.
Episode 1 of Season 4 will be available for streaming beginning on Sunday. The second episode will be available on the following Thursday, June 6, at 8:30 p.m. EDT. The rest of the episodes will release on Sundays and Thursdays over the course of four weeks. Before coming to other streaming platforms, "The Chosen" Season 4 will be available on "The Chosen" app and global livestreams on social media.
"The wait is finally over," said Jenkins in a statement. "The response from those who've seen Season 4 in theaters was that this is our best season, so I can't wait to deliver these episodes free and easy to the world."
During the livestream, Jenkins said Angel Studios and "The Chosen" brought in a third-party arbitrator over a contract dispute. He said the arbitrator's decision means that the relationship between the two companies is "effectively over."
"We wanted to offer fans a chance to see it on the big screen together in theaters," continued Jenkins. "But I've maintained the show will always ultimately be available free and easy, and we're now ready for our livestreams, which are going to be bonkers this year."
Ahead of the announcement, Jenkins held an online press conference with media where he discussed the upcoming release. He said "The Chosen" felt like it had a "biblical mandate" to resolve its legal dispute privately. During the livestream, Jenkins said due to the financial demands of putting together "The Chosen," they had to change the ways they were doing things.
"This isn't about greed. It's not about control or fame or anything like that from either side," said Jenkins. "It's literally trying to find, for 'The Chosen,' a sustainable path forward because less than 5% of the people who watch the show pay for it."
The show is in the midst of filming Season 5.
The cast and crew wrapped filming in Utah earlier this spring and have made their way to Midlothian, Texas, where they are continuing to film the show.
"Multiple times we had hundreds of extras," said Jenkins, adding that the season has "some exciting moments and some painful moments, and it's really shaping up to be our most impactful season yet."
So far, Jenkins said his favorite scene to film was Jesus' triumphal entry. He said it "was one of the most impactful and emotional moments of my entire career."
"We know that Jonathan is not actually Jesus, but to be able to recreate this extraordinary moment of probably the most famous worshipful moment in history was humbling," said Jenkins. "Several of the disciples were crying seeing all these people chanting and singing and waving palm branches out in the middle of Utah."
An aunt and niece came as extras together, said Jenkins. "She (the niece) came up to me and she said, my aunt just gave her life to Christ; I dragged her to be part of this, and at the end of the day she was forever changed. That, for sure, is something we'll always remember."
