Cinematic shared universes are now all the rage in Hollywood, and The Chosen creator Dallas Jenkins has now revealed that the biblical universe will continue the trend. Speaking recently with Variety at the ChosenCon fan convention in Orlando, Florida, Jenkins revealed that he has now launched 5&2 Studios with the intention of creating The Chosen shared universe, or the Biblical Shared Universe (BCU) if you’d prefer. This will include an animated series starring Emmy Award winner Paul Walter Hauser (Black Bird) and Yvonne Orji (Insecure) and spinoffs about the lives of biblical figures Moses, Joseph, and the Apostles.

The plan from 5&2 Studios is to “produce Bible-inspired stories through uniquely human and authentic storytelling and audience engagement,” with the upcoming animated series taking place in the same continuity as The Chosen and focusing “on Jesus’ interaction with a group of children he meets in the wilderness.” Dallas Jenkins explained his intentions for the series saying:

“There’s room here to tell the story of Jesus through the eyes of children in the whimsical format of animation. We thought there’s something there, seeing Jesus through the eyes of kids. We’re not going to expand on that in the mothership show. But what if we took time with that, in an animated show that was witty and fun and that adults could appreciate. We really wanted to get this right. We can’t afford for our second project to come out of the gate and people to go, ‘you know, it’s fine.’ But we really want to make sure that the audience really loves it.”

Also on the agenda is an unscripted show with Bear Grylls, The Chosen in the Wild with Bear Grylls, which will last six episodes and will see the British adventurer putting Jenkins “through some various challenges.”

The Chosen Creator Likens Moses to Tony Soprano

The Chosen has now wrapped on its fifth season, with Season 6 and Season 7 already in the works. According to the report, The Chosen Season 6 “will focus on the story of the Crucifixion, while Season 7 will center on Jesus’ Resurrection.” During its run, the series has faced several controversies, with some fans criticizing the hiring of LGBT crew members (criticism that have since been rejected by some stars of the show) while others have taken issue with the series’ representation and accuracy when depicting the teachings of the Bible.

Once the flagship series is finished, Jenkins will move onto his next project in the newly emerging franchise, directing and showrunning a series about Moses that will run for three seasons. See what Jenkins had to say about the project below, with the director comparing the biblical figure to The Sopranos lead Tony Soprano:

“There actually isn’t a story in the Bible, possibly even including Jesus, that has more pop culture, historical moments, phrases and imagery than the story of Moses. There’s an epic story that can be told. In the midst of it was a reluctant Tony Soprano, basically the guy who was being tasked with leading the largest family in the world — and didn’t want it. Tony Soprano was always fighting for power, and Moses was actually always trying to give it up. And yet, he’s the one that God chose to lead the biggest religious movement and cultural movement in the history of the world.”

The Chosen
Season 5 is expected to be released in 2025. The series is available to stream on Netflix and Prime Video.