by Timothy Plan
‘THE CHOSEN’ HITS GOAL OF FULLY FUNDING SECOND SEASON; BEGINS FILMING
Production has begun on the second season of ‘The Chosen,’ which began filming on October 9 in Goshen, Utah.
Costing more than $1,120,000 per episode, “The Chosen” is a high-quality telling of the life of Jesus and the people around Him. The award-winning, multi-season series has been viewed more than 60 million times worldwide. VidAngel, which distributes “The Chosen,” raised more than $10 million to produce Season One, and, by the end of September, has generated about $9 million to go toward Season Two according to CEO Neal Harmon.
Launched in 2013, VidAngel began by offering families the ability to skip and mute movies and TV shows available for streaming. The company started making its own content after several major studios – Disney, LucasFilm, Twentieth Century Fox, Warner Bros., Turner Entertainment, New Line Productions and MVL Film Finance – sued VidAngel in 2016.
A federal court in Los Angelesawardedthe studios $62.4 million, but VidAngel, which declared bankruptcy, settled with Disney, Warner Brothers and the others in September, agreeing not to “decrypt, copy, stream or distribute content of Disney, Warner Brothers, and their affiliates without permission from the Studios,” drop their appeal and pay $9.9 million over 14 years.
It was the best thing to happen to the upstart company, according to Mr. Harmon. “We’ve had to build a system outside the system,” he told me during a telephone interview. “It’s a beachhead for transforming entertainment for the rest of us.”
Consumers are tired of funneling money to Hollywood studios that have contempt for what they believe, he said, noting that VidAngel is geared toward “the most underserved and marginalized audiences – like people of faith.”
“We’re finished trying to make money for Hollywood studios who abhor that we’re skipping objectionable parts of their shows and sue us for it,” he continued. “If they’re not willing to cooperate, we have no choice but to replace them.”
Article originally posted here by Timothy Plan
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FAQs
Where does The Chosen get its funding? ›
Eves told CNA that funding comes from people “all over the world.” “The Chosen,” which provides its shows for free through an app for iOS or Android systems, or through the website of VidAngel, airs new shows right after filming is complete.
Who pays for The Chosen series? ›Angel Studios raised millions through crowdfunding to fund the multi-season series about the life of Jesus Christ. The church also allowed “The Chosen” to film scenes of Season 2 at its Jerusalem set near Goshen, Utah.
How much did investors make from The Chosen? ›In November 2019, season one was released, fully funded by more than 16,000 people who contributed $11,000,000 in record time, making The Chosen the largest crowdfunded media project in history.
Is VidAngel a Mormon company? ›Then of course, VidAngel's owned by 8,000 Americans of all different faiths. But the two founders, we are faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
What denomination is behind The Chosen? ›“The Chosen” is distributed by partner Angel Studios, a streaming video company that was co-founded by brothers Neal and Jeffrey Harmon, who are Latter-day Saints.
Is The Chosen produced by the LDS Church? ›It is important to note, however, that the VidAngel company is not owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Thus, The Chosen is not an official ministry of the LDS (which, of course, is what people can assume when they hear “produced by Mormons”).
Did The Chosen make a profit? ›According to statistics gathered by Box Office Mojo, IMDb's box office site, THE CHOSEN made $13M in ticket sales while the bloody, gruesome BONES AND ALL bombed. Over the course of two weeks, THE CHOSEN showed in 2,021 theaters and grossed $13.9M at the box office.
Is The Chosen for profit? ›Yes. As an owner of The Chosen, you would be entitled to your share of profits. The management of The Chosen determines this distribution. As a Series A Preferred Unit holder, you would earn up to 120% of your initial investment before the founders of The Chosen take any profit.
How much does it cost to fund an episode of The Chosen? ›Costing more than $1,120,000 per episode, “The Chosen” is a high-quality telling of the life of Jesus and the people around Him. The award-winning, multi-season series has been viewed more than 60 million times worldwide.
How much does 1 million investors make a year? ›Once you have $1 million in assets, you can look seriously at living entirely off the returns of a portfolio. After all, the S&P 500 alone averages 10% returns per year. Setting aside taxes and down-year investment portfolio management, a $1 million index fund could provide $100,000 annually.
Who is the richest investor in the world? ›
- Age: 73.
- Residence: Paris.
- CEO and Chair: LVMH (LVMUY)
- Net Worth: $164 billion.
- Christian Dior Ownership Stake: 97.5% ($130 billion total)
- Other Assets: Moelis & Company equity ($24.5 billion public asset) and $10.2 billion in cash9.
The creators of a faith-based TV series have taken crowdfunding to a bold new level. Producers of “The Chosen,” which chronicles the life of Jesus Christ, have raised $11 million from nearly 16,000 “investors,” not mere donors or supporters.
What DNA company does the Mormon Church own? ›In 2001, Mormon billionaire James Sorenson started one of the earliest genetic test kit companies, Relative Genetics, in part due to his religious interests. It was later bought by Ancestry.com, another Mormon company. While today, Ancestry is a publicly traded company, it uses LDS church records and the IGI.
Is The Chosen true to the Bible? ›Although The Chosen draws directly from the New Testament, it's become a global phenomenon largely because it doesn't treat the Gospels as, uh, gospel. Its creator, Dallas Jenkins, a recent Texas transplant, developed the series in 2018 with the hope of turning Bible stories into something truly binge-worthy.
What companies does the Mormon Church own? ›| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Divisions | Deseret Digital Media Deseret Media Companies KSL Broadcast Division |
| Subsidiaries | Beneficial Financial Group Bonneville International Corp. Deseret News Deseret Book Hawaii Reserves Temple Square Hospitality |
| Website | Deseret Management Corporation |
"We want 'The Chosen' to get into as many homes as possible, and BYUtv does that as well as anyone," said Dallas Jenkins, creator of "The Chosen." "When I first made a short Nativity film at my friend's farm in Illinois, I had no idea it would lead to 'The Chosen' and its global response.
Is The Chosen based on Christianity? ›The Chosen is based on the true stories of the gospels of Jesus Christ.
What religion is the director of The Chosen? ›The director, himself an Evangelical Christian, has thus regularly spoken about Mormons and their faith, and some of his comments have raised the ire of critics.
What does the Catholic Church say about The Chosen? ›Created outside of the Hollywood system, The Chosen allows us to see Him through the eyes of those who knew him. The Chosen stays faithful to the Gospels and at the same time tells us a story that is in between the lines of scripture.
Why did The Chosen leave Utah? ›“We had pretty much decided on Malta, Bulgaria, or Utah, and we found out Utah was a no, and that was because of COVID,” Eves said. At that point, Dallas Jenkins, the writer and director, went back to the farm where he'd filmed the short that inspired The Chosen and prayed they'd be able to keep going.
Is the LDS Church true? ›
The Church is a true and living church because the Lord guides us through living prophets and apostles.
How is The Chosen doing financially? ›Even though they are privately controlled, both have to file annual documents with the SEC. For example, in 2021, The Chosen made revenue of $49 million and a net income of $25.9 million, based on its Form 1-K filing with the S.E.C. In addition, Angel Studios, Inc.
Who is the owner of The Chosen? ›...
| Dallas Jenkins | |
|---|---|
| Notable work | The Chosen The Resurrection of Gavin Stone |
| Spouse | Amanda Jenkins (1998–present) |
| Children | 4 |
Derral Eves, one of two Latter-day Saint executive producers of the hit show The Chosen, knows the show's creator, Dallas Jenkins, has received pushback for choosing to work with members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
How much does The Chosen make? ›The Chosen – the multi-episode television drama based on the life of Jesus – has become the highest-grossing event in Fathom Events' history, with $14.4 million at the domestic box office.
Is giving to The Chosen tax-deductible? ›That's right, the price of one movie ticket is all we need. If Movieguide® is useful to you, please take one minute to keep it online and growing. Thank you. Movieguide® is a 501c3 non-profit and all donations are tax-deductible.
What church is The Chosen affiliated with? ›“The Chosen” is distributed by Angel Studios, which was co-founded by Latter-day Saint brothers Neal and Jeffrey Harmon. The show was allowed to film on the Church's recreated set of ancient Jerusalem for episodes and its Christmas special. Latter-day Saints are also on the crew.
How many investors does The Chosen have? ›The creators of a faith-based TV series have taken crowdfunding to a bold new level. Producers of “The Chosen,” which chronicles the life of Jesus Christ, have raised $11 million from nearly 16,000 “investors,” not mere donors or supporters.
What religion does The Chosen follow? ›The streaming phenomenon, produced just outside of Dallas, is winning converts with its Friday Night Lights spin on faith.
Who runs The Chosen? ›Is The Chosen a nonprofit organization? ›
Is this an official non-profit organization? We are a Texas based non-profit, 501c3 corporation. 2.
Why did Big James leave The Chosen? ›Trivia (2) The role of Big James, originally played by Shayan Sobhian, was later recast to Kian Kavousi. This was because Sobhian departed to play Behrad Tarazi on DC's Legends of Tomorrow (2016).