‘It’s going to be brutal’: What ‘The Chosen’ cast says fans can expect from Season 6

The upcoming sixth season of ‘The Chosen’ will deliver heightened emotional intensity and unfold at a quicker pace

A scene from “The Chosen” Season 5. 5&2 Studios

The upcoming sixth season of “The Chosen” will deliver heightened emotional intensity and unfold at a quicker pace than fans are used to.

After reading the scripts for the sixth season of the biblical drama, Noah James, who plays Andrew, said he spent two days on his couch “weeping.”

“I was really taken by the way that they led us to the crucifixion and the way that they depicted that — I just think people are in for a really invigorating season,” James said.

“It’s going to be brutal, but it will be surprising. And I think at the end of the day, it could be some people’s favorite season.”

The highly-anticipated sixth season will depict the final 24 hours in the life of Jesus Christ, known as Good Friday. Audiences will see Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion along with the confusion among his disciples that ultimately leads them to scatter.

“I say this every year, but I truly think that this time, this is going to be the most intense that they’ve ever seen us go,” Abe Bueno-Jallad, the actor who plays Big James on the series, told the Deseret News.

“The pace, the drama, all of that has been picked up, and you can feel it. It’s so palpable. There’s not a casual conversation in any scene,” he continued. “Everything is going. The wheels are turning. People are trying to stop things from happening — and they’re not able to.”

Vanessa Benavente, the actress who plays Mary, the mother of Jesus, shared a similar sentiment about the upcoming season.

“It takes place over 24 hours, so the pace is faster, the stakes are higher,” Benavente said. “It’s going to feel relentless.”

“We’ve gone from being a small show where everything was very intimate and small, and we’ve been growing and growing and growing, and this is kind of like the apex — this growth and this explosion of the story, really, of the meaning of the story, and of the breadth of the story.”

Paras Patel, who plays Matthew, called Season 6 “a very tough season emotionally” and added that brief pockets of lighter material appear between the show’s heavier moments. He encouraged fans to stay with the series through the challenging scenes.

And Joey Vahedi, who plays Thomas, called the upcoming season “heavy” yet “rewarding,” while Austin Reed Alleman, who plays Nathanael, said fans can expect to “see a lot of growth.”

“As difficult as it will be to watch — it’s a traumatic season. It’s brutal, it’s emotional, it’s heartbreaking — but it’s also one that there is hope, there is light, (and) it’s all coming from a place of love,” said Jordan Walker Ross, who plays Little James.

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According to Dallas Jenkins, the creator behind the biblical drama, the upcoming season will focus on “surrender.”

“Season 6 is really a lot about surrender. We’re watching Jesus ultimately surrender to something that was extraordinarily painful,” Jenkins said.

He continued, “The disciples confused, broken, wondering, having to surrender. I think I’m hoping that the viewers come away from the season saying, ‘Can you surrender even when you don’t always understand people?’”

Season 6 of the series will be partially released in 2026, with the season finale set to debut in 2027.

For eager fans, Jenkins said, “The finale of Season 6 is essentially a supersized episode that is going to be released as the theatrical global event all over the world.”

He continued, “Season 6 is the biggest season we’ve ever done without a close second, it’s taking the longest to film, by far. The visual effects, the translations, especially, take at least two to three times longer than any season we’ve ever done.”

“I just ask for your continued grace and patience. It will be worth it.”

A behind-the-scenes look at the set of ‘The Chosen’ Season 6 in Goshen, Utah

On set of ‘The Chosen’ in Utah, fans become co-creators

When does ‘The Chosen’ Season 6 come out?

Season 6 of “The Chosen” will begin a phased release this year.

The first six episodes in the sixth season of “The Chosen” will premiere exclusively on Prime Video in fall 2026, followed by the global theatrical release of the season finale in spring 2027, Jenkins announced at ChosenCon in February.

For the first time, all six episodes and the finale will be released in dozens of languages — instead of translations being added after the show’s release.

Official release dates for upcoming projects, including “The Chosen” Season 6, will be announced “very soon,” Jenkins promised a crowd of thousands at the event.

“We‘re doing a lot of this from scratch, and so it just takes time, and it’s very difficult,” Jenkins previously told “The Chosen” fans. “So please be patient with us as we get through that.”

“Please be grateful for the fact that we try to get it to you as soon as possible. Be grateful for the fact that the show has grown and gotten bigger and that we are trying to satisfy the needs of everyone around the world.”

Filming for the seventh and final season of “The Chosen” will begin in less than two months, with the script and other details currently entering their final phases. A projected release date has not yet been announced.

“I’m still recovering from Season 6. I don’t know how I’m going to do this,” Jenkins told the Deseret News when reflecting on the upcoming filming for Season 7, which will include production in Goshen, Utah.

“We’ll come back to Utah. We’ll be there for about a month,” Jenkins added. “Hoping to get in a couple naps beforehand, though, because I’m exhausted.”