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The latest theatrical outing of The Chosen franchise, The Chosen: Last Supper – Part 1, recorded a surprise box office stint in its debut weekend. The movie earned an estimated $11.5 million in the US, ranking third in the weekend tally behind A Working Man ($15.2 million) and Snow White ($14.2 million). The successful debut shows the growing success of faith-based movies and attests to the ability of The Chosen in attracting a faithful viewer base.
The franchise began its theatrical run in 2021 with Christmas with the Chosen: The Messengers, which made around $13 million. The Chosen has been gaining momentum ever since, with its third season making $20 million and the fourth season making around $30 million. With its current episode going strong, the total box office collection of The Chosen franchise is nearing the $100 million mark.
Distributed by Fathom Events, The Chosen: Last Supper – Part 1 is the first batch of episodes from the show’s fifth season. The film opened in over 2,200 theaters, proving that television content can find a lucrative secondary market in theaters when properly promoted. With expectations high among the audience, the second installment, The Chosen: Last Supper – Part 2, has an April 4 release, riding the momentum of the series.
The franchise’s success is also a continuation of a broader trend of faith-based movies finding robust support at the box office. Films like Jesus Revolution and Unsung Hero have drawn strong audience numbers, with box office earnings of some $20 million each. Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ is the biggest-grossing religious film in history, with earnings of more than $600 million worldwide.
Despite its strong box office run, The Chosen: Last Supper – Part 1 has not received an official Rotten Tomatoes rating. That said, its audience rating is a staggering 99%, indicating near-universal audience acclaim. This only goes to further the point that faith-based movies have a strong and passionate fanbase willing to get out and support such a movie in theaters.
With more episodes of The Chosen set for theatrical release in the coming weeks, the franchise is continuing to prove that faith-based content can be a force to be reckoned with in the entertainment business. Barring a reversal in the trend, The Chosen may not only shatter the $100 million ceiling but set new benchmarks for religious media adaptations to aspire to.
