The hit series about the life of Christ is in the midst of shooting Season 4 in Utah.
Despite being an independent production, The Chosen is among the casualties of a strike by SAG-AFTRA that is hitting the entire U.S. entertainment industry. The Hollywood actors' union work stoppage began yesterday after no agreement was reached for a new contract with a group that represents the big studios and producers: since some of the actors in The Chosen are members of SAG-AFTRA, the show will be forced to stop production currently underway in Utah.
Dallas Jenkins, the creator and director of the series, took to social media to break the news, saying while he and his crew will do some filming today "that doesn't require (the) cast," the show will then be obliged to wait for the strike to end. There is also a chance that an exemption request which he submitted to SAG could be granted, allowing Jenkins and team to continue with production while the work stoppage talks play themselves out.
It must be particularly frustrating in light of the fact there are only two weeks of shooting remaining for Season 4. The committed Believer added, however, that any resolution is unlikely to happen soon, and while he is obviously not pleased with the developments, he is continuing to place his trust in the Lord.
"Yes, it's upsetting and will cost time and money…but we bring our five loaves and two fish. God handles the rest."
There is one bit of good news in this, as we previously reported: Jenkins and his team have already finished filming episodes one through four. That should enable them to complete post-production and release the first half of Season 4 on schedule. There is no definitive word yet on dates, but past performance would indicate they will roll out one episode per week toward the end of this year.
Christian Film Blog will keep a close eye on this actors' strike - and its impact on The Chosen - and bring you updates as we get them, so do check in with us regularly.