Mark Sourian, president of production at 5&2 Studios, the company behind the global hit series "The Chosen," believes Hollywood can no longer ignore the growing appetite for faith-based entertainment.
"The numbers don't lie," Sourian said in an interview with Christian Daily International. Speaking at the Cannes Film Festival after an IndieWire-hosted industry panel, the film veteran discussed the growth of Christian films, the challenge of translating content for global audiences and the future expansion of "The Chosen" universe.
Sourian was in Cannes to lay the groundwork for his company's first feature film, "The Crucifixion." Slated for a global theatrical release by Amazon MGM Studios as part of Season 7, the project marks the first time "The Chosen" has been structured as a full-length feature rather than a series of episodic releases.
Sourian said the industry excitement surrounding the project is reminiscent of Mel Gibson's 2004 film "The Passion of the Christ."
"We're now exclusively on Amazon, and they're very supportive of us," Sourian said. "They have exclusive distribution rights, but there was something of a bidding war within the community to get those exclusive rights. And Amazon MGM is now going to handle the theatrical release of 'The Crucifixion.'"
He added that the broader entertainment industry has taken notice.
"The reaction has been supportive because, whether they're believers or not, they can see the numbers," he said. "And Hollywood, on some level, is driven by numbers."
The Art of Local Translation
While large-scale distribution drives the business side of the project, Sourian emphasized that reaching local communities through grassroots church networks remains essential. To support that effort, 5&2 Studios partners with Come and See, a nonprofit organization dedicated to sharing the Gospel globally.
According to Sourian, "The Chosen" recently set a Guinness World Record as the most translated television series in history, surpassing the long-held record of the 1990s series "Baywatch."
"Our relationship with Come and See is critical to us because they finance us, but Come and See is spreading Christianity throughout the world," Sourian said.
However, translating a biblical narrative across cultures involves more than simply converting words from one language to another. Sourian described navigating different cultural contexts as a complex artistic challenge.
"If you literally translate it, the meaning will mean something totally different than what you intended," he said. "The literalness isn't enough. A lot of money and time is spent translating the meaning as accurately as possible. That adds a considerable amount of time and money to the post-production process as we finish each season."
A Fan-First Universe
As anticipation builds for "The Crucifixion," Sourian described the level of interest as significant. While series creator and director Dallas Jenkins intentionally "tends to smartly expect less" to remain focused, Sourian said he is optimistic about the project's reception.
"Knowing what I know about the quality of the work, the avid fanbase that we have, and the support that we have from Amazon MGM, I think the expectation is that it will be a worldwide event with an enormous amount of promotion," he said. "It's hard not to look at 'The Crucifixion' as the culmination of everything that's come before."
Despite major studio backing, Sourian said 5&2 Studios operates differently from traditional Hollywood studios such as Universal Pictures and Warner Bros.
"We're a fan-first, independent production studio with a niche in biblical content," Sourian said, highlighting Jenkins' regular updates to fans on social media, the annual ChosenCon gathering and the company's merchandise offerings. "Our relationship to our fans is everyday and critical. It's a very specific relationship that's based and built on trust."
Looking to the Future: Moses, AI and Bear Grylls
That relationship is set to expand with a slate of biblical projects designed to sustain audience engagement.
Sourian said "Joseph," a limited series produced with Amazon, has completed production and is targeting a 2027 release. Following that, Jenkins plans to serve as showrunner and director of a three-season series on Moses in partnership with Amazon and Come and See, with filming expected to begin in 2028. A subsequent three-season series based on the biblical Book of Acts is also in development.
The studio is also branching into unscripted content with "Chosen in the Wild," a reality series featuring outdoor adventurer Bear Grylls. The program will follow Grylls as he takes Jenkins and cast members — including Jonathan Roumie, who portrays Jesus — into the wilderness.
To bring these biblical worlds to life more cost-effectively, Sourian said the studio is exploring the use of artificial intelligence, or AI, for tasks such as set design and costuming, though he emphasized that the company is proceeding cautiously.
"One of our mottos is authenticity, and we take that very seriously," Sourian said, noting that current AI-generated actors still suffer from a distracting sense of artificiality. "With guardrails, AI is a fabulous tool that can bring costs down and help to bring the biblical world to people's living rooms in a way that makes it economically feasible. It's just a matter of being able to do it in a way that's responsible."
Reflecting on his journey with 5&2 Studios, Sourian expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve an audience that he believes mainstream Hollywood has often overlooked.
"One of the things that's been so great is seeing how this organization has been able to serve effectively a traditionally underserved audience that has been desperate for high-quality biblical material," Sourian said. "To be a part of an organization that's been able to deliver high-quality art and creative material to this community [...] has been a really exciting adventure."
