The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) approved “The Chosen” to resume filming, making the series one of the first in the country to receive an official strike exemption.
The current “double walkout” began in May when the the Writers Guild of America began a strike against major Hollywood studios. SAG joined the strike last week, making the combined strike the first dual effort since 1960.
On Twitter, “The Chosen” creator Dallas Jenkins joyfully shared the news with the series fans saying, “It’s been a really good week. … We’re back filming.”
A vulnerable project
Unlike many Hollywood productions, the crowdfunded efforts that finance the series production make the project particularly vulnerable during a strike. Before receiving the exemption, in an Instagram post directed to SAG, Jenkins wrote, “Every day that goes by without your response costs us hundreds of thousands of dollars while your actors are stuck in Utah.” He pleaded, “We’re the good guys; we’ve treated your actors well.”
Jonathan Roumie, a SAG actor who plays Jesus Christ in the series, leads the show’s beloved cast. Commenting on Instagram about the show’s success, Roumie wrote, “When you’re committed to excellence in artistry, there’s room for all kinds of stories to be told and audiences to be served, especially the ones which reflect the undeniable #Truth that Christ brought into this world.”
Nearing the fundraising goal
“Season 4 is entirely independent and 100% funded by donations,” Jenkins wrote on Twitter. According to the Come and See Foundation, which currently matches every dollar contributed toward the next season’s production, $32.9 million of the $40 million goal has been raised.
The hit series recently premiered on television, airing Sunday on CW, drawing 520,000 viewers. Previous seasons will be aired on the network through the fall.
As of this writing, 39 total projects have been approved to continue filming, including “Flight Risk” starring Mel Gibson and Mark Walberg.
