The Salvation Army and The Chosen partner together to dedicate new film campus ahead of season three premiere
Posted: October 26, 2021, 5:00 PM | Category:General Artist Tags: Source: NRT Staff Reports (JF)
In partnership with The Salvation Army, The Chosen dedicated their new film campus on October 6, 2022. The partnership began during the peak of the pandemic when Camp Hoblitzelle sat empty, and The Chosen was looking for a home. The 900-acre campus was a perfect match due to the terrain and the ample space.
Located in Midlothian, Texas, on the southern edge of the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex, Camp Hoblitzelle features a lake and a terrain that resembles Israel where Jesus taught. In less than a year, CRC Construction built a complete sound stage, supporting structures, and a modern replica of a first-century village (fondly referred to as Faux-pernaum). While the build was done at an unprecedented pace, it was not without obstacles. The teams fought through supply chain issues and labor shortages to complete the project in time to film scenes for season three.
The Chosen Founder/Director Dallas Jenkins says this of the new campus: "Getting here has been extremely difficult. There's been supply chain issues, COVID, all of that slowed us down. I think the lessons that are learned in Season 3, which the theme of Season 3 is 'come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden, I will give you rest'... well, the weary and heavy laden part experienced in Season 3, we've been experiencing. That said, we're on the tail end of the struggle part, and now we get to enjoy some of the fruits of our labor."
In June 2022, the site hosted over 12,000 people from all over the world to film the scene depicting the Feeding of the Five Thousand. Katherine Warnock, Head of Original Content, said "I think what blew us away the most about the Feeding of the Five Thousand event was that we had every state in America represented. We had 36 countries represented.. all these people paying their own way to partake in this extraordinary scene, the greatest miracle scripturally for many people." Construction of the campus was well underway while this scene was filmed, but it wasn't quite complete. You can view our coverage of the #F5K event here.
In the remarks leading up to the ribbon cutting, executives from The Salvation Army and The Chosen emphasized that this site is not just for the benefit of the TV series. While The Chosen is not filming, the site is available to rent for other productions. In our interview with Jenkins, he mentioned that this location is also intended to be used to foster an immersive first-century biblical education, a sentiment echoed during the comments from The Salvation Army. The ribbon was cut with multiple pairs of scissors, signifying that this was not accomplished with one big effort or just one organization, but it was the result of the effort of many people.
Jenkins says, "The Chosen is not the end game. The Chosen helps you know and love Jesus more. What's the end game from knowing and loving Jesus more? Worship."
Season three will release in theaters on November 18. Tickets are on sale now. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.
