For Dallas Jenkins, the end of 'The Chosen' brings relief and gratitude

SALT LAKE CITY — After 527 days of filming, Dallas Jenkins felt a weighty pressure lift when "The Chosen" wrapped production in late September.

The demands that came with the making of the biblical drama series had pressed far more heavily on Jenkins than he'd realized until filming was complete. On that final day of filming, the "weight being released was quite something," he said during a Sunday night livestream.

The series wrapped its seventh and final season inside the Midlothian, Texas, set's 30,000-square-foot soundstage after 90 days of filming between Utah and Texas on the final season. Cheers, confetti and hugs followed.

"It was very bittersweet," Jenkins said of the moment.

"We've become in many ways a family over these years," he continued, "and have gone through some difficult things together, not to mention the filming of Season 7, which was our longest season of filming yet and our hottest season of filming yet by far."

There were moments while filming the series' final season when Jenkins said he didn't know if they were going to make it through.

After enduring the challenges and wrapping the seventh season, Jenkins recalled feeling "immense gratitude."

He then took a moment to thank fans for their continued support, especially those who have helped finance the series by making donations to Come and See, an organization that helps fund and translate the series.

"I'm grateful to you for allowing us to get here," Jenkins said, "for your donations to Come and See, which finance the show, for your spreading of the word, for your prayer."

"All of that allows us to do this show and to sustain us as we do it, even during the challenging parts," he added.

Although filming has wrapped, work on the seventh season continues.

Editing on the season is already underway, Jenkins said, noting that he is "feverishly at work on finishing" the series.

Jenkins is also looking ahead to several additional projects.

In the decade since the biblical drama launched, the project has expanded, reaching hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide in a record-breaking 125 languages and generating enough momentum to support several additional shows and films set in the "Chosen" world.

Multiple spinoff series are already in the works, such as "Joseph of Egypt," "Book of Moses" and "The Way of the Chosen."

Additional projects centered on Moses and the Book of Acts are also planned. Outside of television, ChosenCon, talk shows, podcasts and other events will continue to grow the franchise's reach.

"Lots to come," Jenkins said. "There's plenty to do still. But being done with these seven seasons has been quite a relief. I'm looking forward to more that's a little bit different from what we've been doing."

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