‘The Chosen: Last Supper’ Shines on the Big Screen, Setting Franchise Box Office Record
Movies
Audio By Carbonatix
5:15 AM on Monday, March 31
By Michael Foust, Movies
The Chosen set a franchise record at the box office over the weekend, once again proving that its fans are eager to experience the series on the big screen. The Chosen: Last Supper, Part 1 (Episodes 1 & 2) opened with the highest gross yet for a theatrical event in the history of the series, taking in an estimated $11.4 million to place No. 3 at the box office, trailing only A Working Man ($15.2 million) and Snow White ($14.2 million).
The previous record for the franchise was The Chosen Season 3: Episodes 1 & 2, which opened in November 2022 with $8.7 million, ranking it third that weekend.
Just as impressive, Last Supper, Part 1 became only the third faith-based film since the 2020 pandemic to open with at least $10 million, joining 2023's Jesus Revolution ($15.8 million) and 2024's The Best Christmas Pageant ($10.7 million).
The Chosen: Last Supper is a three-part event that follows Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and the subsequent betrayal of Judas. It marks Season 5 of The Chosen, with the crucifixion and resurrection set to be portrayed in Seasons 6 and 7, respectively.
Creator and director Dallas Jenkins labeled the opening "terrific."
"So grateful to you for showing up -- keep it up," he wrote on Facebook.
On Friday, he celebrated the opening weekend with a lighthearted jab.
"I acknowledge we won't finish above Snow White at the box office this weekend," he wrote on Facebook. "But I will say this … unlike them, we actually love our original source material."
Last Supper, Part 2 (Episodes 3-5), will launch on April 4, followed by Part 3 (Episodes 6-8), which concludes the season on April 11. Select theaters will house a "binge-fest" with all 8 episodes on four dates: April 12-13 and April 19-20.
The theme of Season 5, Jenkins said, centers on faith and trust.
"Can you trust? Can you follow? Can you have faith, even when you don't understand? Judas didn't understand, so he rejected, and he took it on himself. The religious leaders didn't understand, so they eliminated. We still do that today," Jenkins told Crosswalk Headlines. "Can we find a way to still trust, to still follow, to still have faith, to put aside maybe our own expectations, even when we don't fully understand?"
Photo Credit: ©The Chosen, used with permission.
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
