Dallas Jenkins says Joni Eareckson Tada was gasping for breath, her voice choked by tears, overwhelmed by the story she just saw.
It was the pilot episode of The Chosen, a first-of-its kind streaming series about the life of Christ.
Jenkins, the director of feature films What If and The Resurrection of Gavin Stone, stumbled into the series kind of by accident after the latter flopped at the box office.
It’s now the No. 1 crowdfunded media project of all time and guaranteed to give a familiar story a fresh take. So far, the show has raised more than $8 million.
Inspired by the scene in Passion of the Christ where Jesus is splashing his mother with water, Jenkins says his series will give a richer backstory to many of the characters listed in Scripture. He is not adding to Scripture, but providing historical context and personality into the people listed in the Gospels.
Listen to the interview (beginning at minute 26) to hear more.