The production shatters ticket-sales records for distributor Fathom Events, prompting a big jump in the number of theaters that will show it.
We recently reported that Christmas with The Chosen: The Messengers roared out of the gate, breaking ticket-sales records for Fathom Events, the outfit that will show it in theaters in December. We had no numbers at the time, however, by which to quantify its performance. They're out now and are indeed impressive.
According to Fathom Events, a joint venture between the top theater chains AMC, Cinemark and Regal, this Christmas special brought in $1.5 million in ticket revenue in just 12 hours. It was such an outstanding performance that the theatrical run was increased from just two days to ten, an unheard of number for the special engagement outfit.
And that's not all: Fathom Events also upped the theater count from 1,079, as originally planned, to at least 1,529, which is nearly a 42% jump. There could be more still, because company CEO Ray Nutt says in a press release that he believes "these numbers will continue to grow."
The Chosen, which is the first multi-season series about the life of Christ, is a global phenomenon, having already set the all-time crowd funding record for a media project at more than $10 million. It's been watched in nearly every country on earth and garnered almost 300 million views even though it is only 16-episodes and two seasons into what is expected to be a 56-episode and seven season run, meaning it's got a large and dedicated audience. In that connection, the ticket-sales performance of Christmas with The Chosen: The Messengers is not a complete surprise despite the very impressive revenue figures.
The production will be in theaters from December 1st through 10th and feature a new episode that tells the Nativity story through the eyes of Mary and Joseph; that will be followed by a host of top Christian musical acts performing both classic and new Christmas songs. You can purchase tickets at a theater in your area via this link to Fathom Events.