Television shows don’t typically get theatrical releases, but Angel Studios took a gamble with The Chosen season 4, and it has undoubtedly paid off. Fathom Events is debuting the fourth season of the Christian historical drama series in theaters in February 2024 before it moves to streaming. However, this isn’t the first time the show has been released in theaters — a Christmas special, Christmas with The Chosen: The Messengers, the penultimate and finale episode of season 3, and another holiday film, Christmas with The Chosen: Holy Night, have received the theatrical release treatment.
The opening weekend box office numbers from the first released batch of The Chosen season 4 episodes are undoubtedly promising and exciting for Angel Studios. The production company likely noticed a recent trend (and the showings of the series’ previous theatrical releases) and took a chance by premiering its most popular show in cinemas. Consequentially, the Christian historical drama has been successful at the box office and is continuing the thread of triumphant releases in one specific genre.
The Chosen Season 4’s Box Office Success Shows How Surprisingly Big Its Audience Is
Per Variety, the first batch of released The Chosen season 4 episodes (1-3) grossed $6 million at 2,300 theaters over the traditional box office weekend (Friday to Sunday), while it earned $7.4 million total since the premiere on Thursday. These numbers mean that the television show took second place on the top-performing titles list for the first weekend of February, just behind the $18 million showing of Matthew Vaughn’s spy action comedy film Argylle. Rounding out the top five were The Beekeeper with $5.28 million, Wonka with $4.7 million, and Migration with $4.2 million.
The Chosen season 4, episodes 1-3, had the second-highest box office numbers during its opening weekend, indicating that the Christian historical drama has a surprisingly large following. The show’s fans were willing to pay extra money to see episodes 1-3 in theaters rather than wait for its inevitable streaming release. Additionally, the first batch of episodes has a total runtime of three hours and 27 minutes. So, audiences were willing to sit in a theater for more than three hours to see the first three episodes of The Chosen season 4, proving they are extremely dedicated to the series.
The Chosen Season 4’s Box Office Continues The Success Of Faith-Based Stories
Even though The Chosen isn’t seemingly as “big” as other series (in the sense that it isn’t talked about a lot in the mainstream media), its fourth season still had an impressive opening showing at the box office. Its success is not only an indication of the show’s significant following but also the continued trend of faith-based stories reigning victorious in theaters. As some may recall, Sound of Freedom (another title from Angel Studios) was a surprise box office success during the summer of 2023. The movie ultimately grossed over $250 million during its theatrical run.
Despite the controversies surrounding Sound of Freedom, many showed up at movie theaters worldwide to see Jim Caviezel rescuing children from sex traffickers in Colombia. Of course, numerous reasons factor into why the 2023 Christian thriller film was a box office triumph, but no one can deny that its accomplishments showcase the dedication of a specific demographic starved for content. Hollywood typically doesn’t cater its movies and shows to the religious crowd. However, following the successes of Sound of Freedom and The Chosen season 4, episodes 1-3, perhaps the landscape of theatrical releases will change.
When Will Jesus Christ’s Crucifixion & Resurrection Happen In The Chosen?
As one of the most significant moments in Jesus’ life, when the crucifixion and resurrection will happen in The Chosen is a concern for viewers.
What Will Hollywood Learn From The Chosen’s Box Office Success?
If The Chosen season 4 continues surprising everyone and pulling in impressive box office numbers, Hollywood will have no choice but to take notice of the show’s success. During a time when theatrical releases are steadily declining at the box office, film studios have to factor in what is working and what isn’t when planning their future productions. Many skip buying tickets to see movies (or series) in theaters and wait for the titles to be released on streaming services. So, when something is prevailing at the box office, the chances are that other companies will try to replicate its success.
Perhaps production studios will consider making more faith-based content and releasing it in theaters, following the recent trend of triumphant religious titles. Of course, Sound of Freedom‘s controversies may dissuade major studios from going down the Christian path, but smaller independent companies may try to follow in Angel Studios’ footsteps. It’s also unlikely that many more television shows will get theatrical releases. But The Chosen season 4 is proving that studios can profit from debuting their series in theaters, meaning that some could try this strategy.
The Chosen
The Chosen is a historical drama starring Jonathan Roumie, Elizabeth Tabish, and Shahar Isaac. Created by Dallas Jenkins, The Chosen follows Jesus of Nazareth and tells his story through the eyes of ordinary people who encountered him. The series has been critically praised since its first season in 2017.
- Release Date
- September 20, 2017
- Cast
- Jonathan Roumie , Elizabeth Tabish , Shahar Isaac , Paras Patel , Noah James , George H. Xanthis , Nick Shakoour , Jordan Walker Ross
- Seasons
- 4
- Network
- The CW
