The production behind the viral hit series "The Chosen" has taken to Facebook to clarify that the show was not produced by Mormons.
On Monday, the people behind "The Chosen" announced on its Facebook page a response to recent criticism surrounding the series. The production clarified that the highly acclaimed series is not produced by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
On Facebook, the individuals behind "The Chosen" posted a screenshot of a critique, which read, "This is not an anti-Christian show produced by Mormons. Be very careful about this show."
The group then responded to the caption of the screenshot, "They happen to be correct in the first sentence...we're not anti-Christian, we're not produced by Mormons."
"But we're going to go out on a limb and guess there was a typo; which wouldn't be surprising, as most of our hate comments aren't written by English majors," the group wrote. "That said, go ahead and be very careful with us-that advice is solid. #ChosenFeedback"
According to the Christian Headlines, the post was addressing a topic circulating on blogs and social media since Angel Studios' "The Chosen" came out. The crowdfunded television series that follows the life of Jesus and his disciples was criticized by some after the second season came out in 2021.
In a humorous tone, the studio posted a screenshot of the critical comment, remarking about its multiple grammatical errors. This is not the first time they addressed criticism of the show. In March, Director Dallas Jenkins, who is evangelical, talked about the feedback they received in an interview with YouTube creator and hip-hop artist Ruslan KD.
Jenkins explained that "The Chosen" does not "get funding from Angel Studios" and does not "get any funding from any organization, much less any religious organization." While Angel Studios has LDS members within it, the studio is merely a "distribution partner" and as per Jenkins, "they don't actually fund it."
"I am an evangelical," Jenkins explained. "I consider myself a conservative evangelical. I believe in the Bible. [It] is God's Holy Word. It's the inerrant word of Scripture."
Jenkins also highlighted how he was the person responsible for the content of "The Chosen." He explained that those who were involved in the show who are LDS or Catholic or from other faiths "would be the first to tell you they have absolutely zero input into the content itself."
Jenkins added that he was "making a Jesus show" that is "pointing people towards Jesus." He remarked, "I'll let the Holy Spirit and I'll let the discipleship of the local church do the job of nuancing all of those kinds of large-scale or even small-scale disagreements."
According to CBN News, "The Chosen" is the first multi-season story about Jesus' life that has garnered millions of dollars of donations, making it the top crowd-funded media project of all time. Its supporters have donated so much funds that they are hoping it would be enough to pay for a fourth season in 2023.
In a recent discussion with audiences at Utah State University, Jenkins shared that he did not have an agenda when he started creating "The Chosen." As its series creator, writer, director, and executive producer, he felt divine inspiration to begin creating the show and felt fulfilled when people of different faiths and religions came together because of it.