Faith-based streaming series “The Chosen” launched its Season 3 premiere on the big screen and finished third among all movies at the weekend box office.
The two-episode theatrical release finished at $8,687,682 million over its three-day opening weekend, according to final numbers from Angel Studios. The total trailed only “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and “The Menu,” according to Deadline.
“For the second year in a row, “The Chosen” is capturing the imagination of moviegoers around the country. After the overwhelming response of “Chosen” fans–and now “Wingfeather Saga” fans at a packed theatrical event in Nashville last week–we’re seeing that the same audiences who have helped us break streaming records can have similar impact at the box office,” said Neal Harmon, CEO of Angel Studios, told The Daily Wire.
“And, in addition to the estimated $3.7 million Friday, based on last year’s “Chosen” special, we expect “The Chosen Season 3″ Sunday sales to exceed Saturday’s, partially driven by a strong showing anticipated on Sunday night,” he added.
Angel Studios also posted to Twitter to celebrate the strong opening weekend performance of “The Chosen.”
“Thank you to all of you that are amplifying light by supporting Angel Studios and The Chosen!” Harmon tweeted.
BIG NEWS for fans of Angel and The Chosen: Deadline has reported that The Chosen Season 3 is #2 in the box office, right behind Wakanda Forever.
Thank you to all of you that are amplifying light by supporting Angel Studios and The Chosen! pic.twitter.com/PWLZ0OchZF
— Angel Studios (@AngelStudiosInc) November 19, 2022
Though “The Chosen” theatrical release was well behind Marvel’s “Black Panther” sequel, it reached the number-three spot while playing on just 2,012 screens. “Wakanda Forever” played on 4,396 screens in the U.S.
The popular streaming series following the life of Jesus is the second time that Angel Studios has made the jump from streaming to the big screen. Last year, its “Christmas with Chosen: The Messengers” opened with $4.2 million on opening weekend and reached number four overall. In total, the launch earned $13.7 million, making it the top-selling Fathom Event of all time.
“The Chosen” is considered the first-ever multi-season series about the life of Jesus. Directed by Dallas Jenkins, son of Left Behind series co-author Jerry Jenkins, “The Chosen” became the most-successful crowdfunding effort of a streaming series.
Widely distributed through its own app and at Angel Studios, the series has brought the Gospel accounts of the New Testament to life for a new generation accustomed to streaming content.
The series is currently crowdfunding Season 4. A report by Deseret News confirmed that a deal with Netflix is forthcoming, potentially offering the series to a broader audience.
“We want the world to see ‘The Chosen’ and working with partners like Netflix is going get us out to a lot more people,” Derral Eves, an executive producer, said. “I would love a billion people to see the show and have it impact people in and around the world.”