This is an excerpt from TV Guide Magazine’s The Chosen: Special Easter Issue. For a deep-dive into the wildly popular series and its upcoming fifth season, pick up a copy of the issue available on newsstands and order online here.
It’s a hot day in the middle of July and a select group of journalists are taking a walking tour of Capernaum. At least, it feels like we could be in the Middle East — it’s a scorching 94 degrees! — but we’re really on The Chosen’s 80,000-square-foot Midlothian, Texas, set, located at the Salvation Army’s Camp Hoblitzelle. The massive compound is only part of the Bible-based historical drama’s home (the series also shoots in Goshen, Utah, where Season 5 filming began with the triumphal entry in spring 2024).
But in the Lone Star State, our cluster of reporters and camera operators get to see the two large soundstages and the expansive backlot that serves as the home for Capernaum (erected in 2021, it has been transformed from the small fishing village into the bustling city of Jerusalem for Season 5), the Sanhedrin temple where the Pharisees gather and other spots avid viewers will recognize. Across from the city set is the shining lake that becomes the Sea of Galilee. Walking through the lush scenery feels like stepping back in time.
“We were looking for a place where we could capture the essence of the Middle Eastern locales where Jesus’ ministry took place,” said The Chosen President Brad Pelo in 2022. “When we saw this site and the wide open spaces with rolling hills, we knew it was the place to become our home for years to come.” You could say they chose to build their house on a rock.
Justin Clemons
In addition to familiar areas, the press party was offered glimpses into the fifth season’s new sets — from High Priest Caiaphas’ (Richard Fancy) ornate office to the colorful home of a mysterious new Greek, Phoebe (whose casting was not announced at press time).
Production designer James R. Cunningham, who has worked on the drama since 2018, is responsible for every intricate setting, from building entire city blocks to stuffing bookshelves with dozens of scrolls. Each time, Cunningham and the crew raise the stakes. “[Season 5] is a big season for us,” he says outside of Soundstage 1, before leading us through a hallway that opens into a decorated garden atrium. “Every set was brand-new, except for Lazarus’ [house], but we had to redo that, so it felt brand-new.”
Part of Laz’s Bethany-based home, says Cunningham, was used to create more rooms for Pontius Pilate (Andrew James Allen). Building and rebuilding is just one way the scrappy series — which is partially financed through crowdfunding and fan donations — keeps costs down. Even in its fifth season, it’s not hard to imagine that’s helpful when the ambitious hours ahead feature more of the Holy City and its wealthy inhabitants than ever before.
Initial designs for the 55 new sets and locations began in October 2023, construction started in February 2024 and, by July, over 100 crew members were on their final two weeks. Still, they were busily painting, sawing, and hammering away at iconic spots, like the upper room where the Last Supper takes place, a spot that Cunningham says has already been through five different stages of design. “It’s a race to the finish on that one,” he admits.
But what surprised us the most? While the team tries its best to source authentic materials, Cunningham also shops at HomeGoods, Target, and Walmart. “[There are] a lot of things we have to buy, and everything gets touched,” the designer explains. “We either have to paint it or age it, so we always want anything that we put on to look handmade or like it would back in the 1st century.” That means sewing lots of tassels onto curtains and spray-painting furniture to look weathered, or more ornate, depending on the situation. Sounds pretty miraculous.
Below, we’ve provided a few snapshots of what it’s like to explore the epic hit’s Texas sets. So, as they like to say on The Chosen…come and see.