The faith-based television series The Chosen, which depicts the life of Jesus Christ, has achieved remarkable success with the record-breaking opening of its fifth season. This trend marks a significant milestone in the increasing prevalence of television shows making their way to theaters. Since its debut in 2017, The Chosen has gained substantial popularity, culminating in an ambitious rollout strategy for season 5. Initially launched in theaters for a limited time, these episodes will later stream exclusively on Prime Video.
Although fans are accustomed to enjoying previous seasons and holiday specials in the comfort of their homes, the show’s format has expanded to include theatrical releases. Season 3 marked the beginning of this approach, featuring the first two episodes and the finale on the big screen. The audience for The Chosen has proven to be robust enough to sustain impressive box office performance, with the first two episodes of season 5, titled The Chosen: Last Supper, currently screening theatrically.
Box Office Performance of The Chosen: Last Supper – Part 1
Record-Setting Opening
The cinematic debut of The Chosen: Last Supper – Part 1 on March 28, 2025, featured over 2,000 screens thanks to Fathom Entertainment’s distribution. This noteworthy release quickly reestablished the show’s popularity within the theater industry, generating $11.7 million domestically during its opening weekend and ranking third behind A Working Man and Snow White.
The initial performance of The Chosen: Last Supper – Part 1 was impressive from the outset. It garnered $5.1 million on its first day, achieving the second-highest gross for that date, narrowly trailing A Working Man. During the following days, the film experienced a mere 30.3% dip on Saturday, bringing in another $3.5 million, and an even smaller 13.5% drop on Sunday, which netted an additional $3 million. Such results secured third place in the box office rankings for both Saturday and Sunday.
As of now, updated figures for March 31’s performance are unavailable, and the theatrical release is limited to domestic audiences. Nevertheless, the fifth season set a record for the highest box office opening of any episode in the series.
Comparison with Previous Seasons
Significant Success of Seasons 3 and 4
The impressive $11.7 million box office total for season 5 positions it among the highest-grossing entries of the franchise. This figure becomes even more remarkable when considering it surpasses the prior opening weekend record for a season, which was set by The Chosen Season 3: Episodes 1 & 2 at $8.8 million. The fifth season’s debut outperformed that record by nearly $3 million.
|
The Chosen Release |
Box Office Opening |
Box Office Total |
|---|---|---|
|
The Chosen: Last Supper – Part 1 |
$11.7 million |
$11.7 million |
|
The Chosen Season 3: Episodes 1 & 2 |
$8.8 million |
$14.6 million |
|
The Chosen Season 4: Episodes 1-3 |
$5.9 million |
$14.8 million |
|
Christmas with the Chosen: The Messengers |
$4.2 million |
$13.7 million |
|
The Chosen Season 3: Finale |
$3.623 million |
$5.5 million |
|
The Chosen Season 4: Episodes 4-6 |
$3.622 million |
$9.4 million |
|
The Chosen Season 4: Episodes 7-8 |
$3.2 million |
$7.7 million |
|
Christmas with the Chosen: Holy Night |
$2.9 million |
$4.6 million |
Analyzing the theatrical performance of The Chosen, the fifth season’s opening contributes to its status as the fourth-highest-grossing installment to date, behind season 4’s first three episodes at $14.8 million, and season 3’s initial two episodes at $14.6 million. Given its current trajectory, The Chosen season 5 has the potential to become the franchise’s highest overall earner.
Altogether, The Chosen has generated over $82 million in sales at the box office, an impressive figure for a production with limited theatrical releases rooted in faith-based storytelling.
Factors Behind The Chosen’s Box Office Success
A Proven Track Record for Faith-Based Films
The continual financial success of The Chosen is not unexpected, given the series’ growing fanbase as it progresses. Each new season cultivates increased interest, which is reflected in the burgeoning box office figures. Notably, Amazon has engaged in acquiring exclusive streaming rights to season 5 and future seasons for the first 90 days post-theatrical release, further emphasizing major Hollywood studios’ recognition of this collection’s potential for success.
Although The Chosen does not attract viewership numbers that contend with the most popular series on television, it exemplifies the success of faith-oriented narratives in theatres. Blockbusters like Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ have dominated the box office as a long-standing R-rated hit, while other films such as God’s Not Dead and I Can Only Imagine have demonstrated the viability of sequels within this genre. Even films deemed more controversial, such as Sound of Freedom, have surpassed expectations at the box office.
Crucially, The Chosen caters specifically to Christian audiences, who often face a scarcity of theatrical releases that resonate with their beliefs. This context, combined with the series’ successful transition from the small to the big screen, has created a compelling platform for its anticipated success. Given the franchise’s history and the biblical connections that entice many viewers, it is hardly surprising to witness the impressive box office figures for season 5.
Implications of The Chosen Season 5’s Box Office Success
Ambitious Plans Ahead for the Franchise
With a record-setting premiere, the future looks bright for subsequent seasons, as there is strong reason to believe that airing episodes in theaters will remain a cornerstone of the series’ strategy. Seasons 6 and 7 are already confirmed, and it is anticipated that they will continue to be released in theaters, following the success of season 5. Additionally, theater-goers will have the chance to see more episodes from season 5, with episodes 3 through 5 hitting theaters on April 3 and episodes 6 through 8 arriving on April 10. Each release will count toward its own box office performance.
This triumph bodes well for The Chosen’s broader franchise aspirations. Plans for several spin-off projects and additional narratives are under consideration, expanding the universe. Although not all may receive theatrical releases, higher-profile projects associated with figures like Joseph and Moses could enhance marketability and continue the series’ successful cinematic trend.
Moreover, the success of season 5 could inspire a surge in the number of faith-based productions hitting theaters, potentially leading to a variety of new opportunities. While major studios may not always support these endeavors internally, they might choose to work with independent distributors eager to capitalize on the success of faith-themed content.