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THE CHOSEN Season 4 Offers Nashvillians a Whole Lot to Choose From with Fathom Events
In Nashville, there are over 700 churches located within the city limits. Still, even this high-profile center of Christendom within the heart of the Bible Belt probably hasn't done as much for spreading the Good News or advancing The Kingdom of God as much as the crowd-funded, multi-platform series THE CHOSEN has as it enters its much anticipated and pivotal fourth season. Locally, the next installment of the docu-drama based on the life of Jesus Christ and his first followers made its debut on movie screens courtesy of Fathom Events on Thursday, February 01, 2024.
Now, this isn't your father's Fathom Event. Fathom Events is an entertainment content provider that broadcasts unique entertainment events in movie theaters throughout the United States, including Metropolitan Opera Live in HD, the performing arts, major sporting events and music concerts. Usually, their unique productions are "one-offs" that happen on the same day and the same time across the land. Thus, truly making them a happening. Sometimes, they go off script with additional showings on particular occasions like the time they aired the Fare Thee Well concerts from Chicago in 2015. Still, Fathom Events has never offered an undertaking the likes of which they have prepared for THE CHOSEN Season 4. For the first time ever, the full season of a streaming-TV show will be released exclusively in theaters, distributed by Fathom Events, the company announced earlier this year. Season 4 will start showing in theaters February 1, with a two-week run of the first three episodes. Episodes 4-6 will show for two weeks starting February 15, and the season's last two episodes will be released February 29, 2024. "Every time we've dipped our toes in the theatrical waters, viewers have overwhelmingly told us they want more. After seeing the Season 4 episodes, we knew we'd be doing our fans a disservice if we denied them the chance to see them all on a big screen with others they can laugh and cry with," THE CHOSEN creator and director Dallas Jenkins explained. Ray Nutt, CEO of Fathom Events, added, "We are thrilled to collaborate again with THE CHOSEN team to bring fans the entire fourth season to cinemas before it is available elsewhere. It is a testament to the big screen's power to unite people and have them share in this communal experience."
It was at at Caesarea Philippi where Simon received his new name - Peter. In Nashville, die-hard fans of the series will be able to enjoy this communal experience at Regal Hollywood, Regal Green Hills, Regal Opry Mills and AMC Bellevue 12. Additional theaters in Franklin, Smyrna, Clarksville, Lebanon and Murfreesboro are also taking part in this truly historic occassion to help share the amazingly captivating show that has already racked up more than a half a billion views since launching its first episode in 2017. OBSERVATIONS - UPDATED 2/4/2024: We have now seen the first three episodes of THE CHOSEN season four. All that we will reveal is that you might want to have a box of tissues handy. We will share some thoughts on why THE CHOSEN is so compelling and some of the insights that we got from the trio of episodes that are currently out on the big screen through February 1-14, 2024. First, the idea of creating a doc-drama about Jesus that could be streamed and binged watched. Yes, there have been epic films made about Jesus but this approach works for modern viewers. Plus, they are digging deeper into the stories of his followers - people who we can relate to. The drama comes in with some of the side stories that are not part of the Biblical text. THE CHOSEN effectively incorporates scriptures into the dialogue and many of their episodes include Jesus' miracles that are recorded in the gospels. The surprises come in the tales that have been crafted within historical context and perhaps some conjuring of what the disciples' lives could have been like. We know that Matthew was a tax collector who left his post to follow Jesus but his circumstances were most likely more complicated as portrayed in THE CHOSEN. In his gospel, Matthew does not share his feelings instead his focus is on Jesus so we don't know that much about him.
The is no doubt that Season 4 will soon move to an olive grove setting just outside of Jerusalem. Same with Simon who in THE CHOSEN faces a lot more drama than what is found in the Bible. Episode 2 was especially important to Rich and I because the storyline that led to the very scenic Caesarea Philippi where Jesus gave the fiery apostle the name Peter in recognition of his faith really brought back memories of a trip we made to the Holy Land in 1991. The stop at the former temple of Pan was one of the first significant moment of our pilgrimage to Israel with future best-selling author Jonathan Cahn (The Harbinger, Return of the Gods) and our eyes were riveted to the screen during this pivotal moment that will forever change the role of Shahar Isaac's character in the show. As we enter season 4 we have grown fond of the characters thus we have a more vested interest in them. All of them are struggling with their roles as disciples. In Matthew 10:35 Jesus warns that "for I came to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law", in other words people were going to be divided over Jesus. The religious leaders at that time called Him a heretic while the Romans considered Jesus a distraction that unfortunately was causing a lot of disturbances. Tensions were rising among the believers and those who wanted Jesus out of the picture. The question of why does God answers some prayers and not others is something people of all eras continue to ask and the first three episodes of season four dive deep into that. Forgiveness was another important theme. When asked by Simon Peter about it the reply was "I (Jesus) do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy-seven times" (Matthew 18:22). In theory Jesus was/is saying endless forgiveness and more importantly it is an act of repentance which is why Jesus came. He was there to proclaim the Kingdom of God not an earthly kingdom or a revolution against Rome which is what some of His supporters wanted and that is why those in power considered Jesus a threat. OBSERVATIONS - UPDATED 2/16/2024: Season 4, chapters 4-6 - for us the prevailing theme was - Isaiah 55:8-9 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways. This is the LORD's declaration. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." The believers continue to face the challenges to their faith as things don't turn out the way they expected them to. The miracles continue but tensions with both the Jewish and Roman leadership are escalating. Jesus who often spoke in parables tells his disciples that He is the Good Shepard that will lay down His life. They are bewildered by His words. As in previous episodes the emotional highs and lows remain so stayed tuned for Leap Day when the 7th and 8th instalments of THE CHOSEN hit the big screen courtesy of Fathom Events. OBSERVATIONS - UPDATED 2/29/2024: Season 4, chapters 7 & 8 - our high and low emotions continue as THE CHOSEN tells the story of Jesus and his followers with scripture and additional storylines. His disciples know that Jesus is the Christ but struggle with understanding the big picture of his purpose here on earth. This is especially true for Judas, Thomas and Little James. Even the Messiah himself is coping with more human feelings such as fear, frustration and heartbreak as He draws closer to Palm Sunday and all that is to come. The religious leaders persist in protecting their power while gathering "evidence" against Jesus. As in previous episodes, looking backwards or forward in time paired with symbolism is woven into the scenes foreshadowing what lies ahead for Jesus and his apostles. THE CHOSEN Season 4 is following the winning format of looking at the Old Testament as a foreshadowing of what is coming paired with scripture along with additional stories. The actors and actresses successfully bring the characters to life in very relatable ways. Jonathan Roumie in the role of the Messiah beautifully blends the holiness and humanness of Jesus. So, if you have not seen THE CHOSEN consider watching the first three seasons although you could jump right into four but you will miss out on some of the emotional nuances that have been portrayed in prior seasons. Stay tuned!
We went to Israel and found Jesus in The Wailing Wall! Related Links: For more information on THE CHOSEN and the other organizations mentioned please visit the following links - THE CHOSEN | Fathom Events
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