Midlothian will serve as the backdrop when the hit TV show The Chosen replicates the biblical story of the feeding of 5,000 people.
The set includes 12,000 extras from 36 countries and 900 acres of land owned by the Salvation Army’s Camp Hoblitzelle. The scene is part of a more significant production that includes a 30,000-square-foot state-of-the-art sound stage built by CRC Construction.
The Chosen is the story of Jesus from his followers’ perspective. The Midlothian production is filming season three.
Its cast features Amber Shana Williams, who plays Tamar. Williams, an early fan, says she knew she wanted to be a part of the show before getting cast.
“The Chosen is one of the only projects, I might actually say the only project, that I’ve been a part of where I’m actually an avid fan,” Williams told KLTV. “I have seen every single episode; I’ve watched them multiple times.”
Producers chose Midlothian for the latest season due to the weather, which producers believe is much like the Middle East.
“It feels like it might have been somewhere in the Middle East or something like, except there’s chiggers here. Beware of the chiggers,” Williams said.
Making last season’s episodes was very different, Williams said. Last year, the show was being filmed during a historic snowstorm.
“We went from frozen Chosen to toastin’ Chosen,” says Williams.
Many of the extras participating in the series made their own clothes and paid for their own expenses to participate in the production.
Derral Eves, the show’s CEO and executive producer, says he hopes the extras will share their experiences while on set with family and friends.
“Ultimately, the people that are putting their life on pause, coming out here, helping us with the feeding of the 5,000 means so much to me because they’re so dedicated to the show,” said Eves.
The Chosen is a unique production: the show is paid for by people who watch it and “pay it forward” afterward. The series is translated into over 56 languages and is free to watch on mobile or streaming apps.
“I want people to walk away feeling like they experienced it, and when they get back to the Bible and into that verse, they’ll see it a little bit differently because of their experience here, and hopefully, it will deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ,” Eves said.