{"id":3096,"date":"2023-10-22T16:30:33","date_gmt":"2023-10-22T16:30:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cccfornews.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/22\/showrunners-of-the-chosen-express-solidarity-with-israel-at-dove-awards\/"},"modified":"2023-10-22T16:30:33","modified_gmt":"2023-10-22T16:30:33","slug":"showrunners-of-the-chosen-express-solidarity-with-israel-at-dove-awards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cccfornews.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/22\/showrunners-of-the-chosen-express-solidarity-with-israel-at-dove-awards\/","title":{"rendered":"Showrunners of ‘The Chosen’ express solidarity with Israel at Dove Awards"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"\"\/<\/a>\"\"\/<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n
<\/source><\/picture>
Chad Gundersen and Chris Juen, showrunners for “The Chosen,” speak with The Christian Post on the red carpet ahead of the Dove Awards in Nashville, Tennessee, on October 17, 2023. <\/span> | The Christian Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

NASHVILLE, Tenn. \u2014 The showrunners behind \u201cThe Chosen\u201d have voiced their support for Israel after the terrorist group Hamas launched an attack on the Jewish state and said they hope the show, which highlights the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, can provide some \u201chope\u201d to those suffering.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re a Jewish show. It’s that simple. We’re not a Christian show yet,\u201d Chad Gundersen, one of the producers of \u201cThe Chosen\u201d told The Christian Post<\/a> on the red carpet ahead of the Dove Awards.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere aren’t Christians yet until Christ has done what He was supposed to do. So right now, we’re a Jewish show. And honestly, we just stand with Israel right now. It’s that simple. And it’s heartbreaking to see what’s going on over there.\u201d<\/p>\n

The devastating and coordinated Oct. 7 attacks by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas killed some 1,400 people and wounded thousands of others. The terrorist group also took 200 people hostage. After the attacks, Israel launched a series of bombings on Gaza, killing more than 4,000 Palestinians, according to Hamas.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Gunderson told CP that amid the turmoil, he hopes \u201cThe Chosen\u201d \u201ccan give a little bit of hope\u201d to those struggling.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe pray for Israel and everything going on over there,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Chosen\u201d won \u201cTelevision Series of the Year,\u201d at this year’s awards show, a category it won last year as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What began as a pioneering crowd-funded project several years ago has since evolved into a cultural phenomenon with the series being shown on a variety of streaming platforms such as Amazon Prime, Peacock and Netflix, and top ratings domestically on The CW.<\/p>\n

Chris Juen, who also produced the series, told CP they view \u201cThe Chosen\u201d as a medium to point viewers to The Bible: \u201cFor us, this series is a way to tell these stories in a way that more and more people are drawn to them, and then ultimately, drive them back into their Bibles,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In February, Season 4 of \u201cThe Chosen\u201d will be released exclusively in theaters<\/a>, distributed by Fathom Events. The forthcoming season will be \u201cintense\u201d and \u201cthe most sophisticated to date,\u201d according to Juen.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cSeason three had the walk on water, the feeding of the 5,000, these really big moments,\u201d he said. \u201cThis whole season\u2019s big. It’s our season of royalty. So, new characters, but the story is starting to shift as well. It\u2019s going from getting to know Jesus and getting to know the disciples to now, hold on, wait, this is not what they thought was going to happen.<\/p>\n

Everybody had what they wanted to happen, and now they’re starting to learn, OK, this is different. It\u2019s the beginning of the road of some sorrow. Luckily, we know how the story ends, and there’s hope at the end of it, but we’ve got a lot of tough things to get through over these next couple of seasons.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gunderson added that while previous seasons have featured \u201cdirt buildings, sand grounds and a lot of very different shades of tan,\u201d season four will see \u201ca lot of color.\u201d He shared some of the exhaustive research that goes into each season to ensure biblical and historical accuracy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do a ton of research,\u201d he said. \u201cA couple of years ago, we built a small model of Capernaum \u2026 and there was this gentleman just sitting there staring at it, like he was really pondering \u2026 he said, \u2018I don\u2019t know who did this, but I am a biblical studies Jerusalem\/Israeli historical expert \u2026 and this is one of the most accurate portrayals of what it would have looked like.\u2019 \u2026 We hire a lot of experts; we do a ton of research. These guys put a lot of effort into it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reflecting on the show\u2019s enduring popularity, Gunderson said viewers of all backgrounds and religious beliefs are drawn to the \u201cauthenticity\u201d of the story.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously, we do our best just to make a good show. And that’s what we hear from a lot of the nonbelievers out there that it\u2019s a cool show, with good characters, good writing, good production value and all those types of things. For that alone, we’re getting a lot of people.<\/p>\n

Within the faith community, we’re showing an authentic Jesus,\u201d he continued. \u201cWe’re not showing this disconnected, holier-than-thou Jesus. He is the Son of God, and we portray Him as that. It\u2019s not like we ever shy away from the deity of Christ. But at the same time, He laughs and He cries, and he jokes, and He does things that any man would do. Therefore, the disciples are just drawn to Him. And obviously, that draws our audience in.\u201d<\/p>\n