Down a country road just outside the Midlothian city limits sits an unusual site, 80,000 square feet of soundstages and sets for The Chosen.
The drama based on the life of Jesus is one of the most-watched series in the world, with more than 250 million viewers, according to its production company, 5&2 Studios.
The fifth season, focusing on the Last Supper, is now available on Prime Video.
NBC 5 spoke with creator, director, and writer Dallas Jenkins, who said he moved his family to Midlothian to pursue the project.
“Filming The Chosen has easily been the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but what has made it much more tolerable has been doing it here in Texas,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins partnered with the Salvation Army’s Camp Hoblitzelle to build the set on its property. He said it allowed him to create something he is not sure he could have done elsewhere.
The production is a massive undertaking. A day on set can range from 200 people to thousands and has a ripple effect well beyond the studio.
“There’s no question that when you come in to film something, any town is going to benefit economically,” Jenkins said.
Midlothian Mayor Justin Coffman has watched the production and its worldwide reach flourish over several years.
“I’m proud of it. I’m proud of the work they’re doing and its massive impact,” Coffman said.
Even though the series is filmed outside city limits, he said Midlothian directly benefits.
“When The Chosen is in town filming, the hotels are filled, the restaurants are full, and the local economics are great,” Coffman said.
This past spring, Texas lawmakers approved the state’s largest film incentive program ever. The legislation allocates $300 million to be disbursed every two years for the next decade.
Projects are eligible for grant dollars if they meet quotas on spending, hiring and filming in-state. According to the Texas Moving Image Industry Program, for every $1 paid in grant money, more than $4 is spent in Texas.
Tarrant County College now offers a fast-track program for students interested in lighting, set construction, hair and makeup.
The city of Ferris is also hoping to see an economic boost from filming.
Ferris City Manager Brooks Williams said the town got lucky when a production company reached out about using a specific property.
It was recently announced that Taylor Sheridan will film one of his Yellowstone spinoffs in the community.
“Obviously, Taylor Sheridan and his shows are very popular, and so we’ve already seen an influx of people who are just looking around to see if they can find out where the site is,” Williams said.
Sheridan’s Landman continues filming its second season in Fort Worth and parts of Dallas.
Back on the set of The Chosen, where season six is underway, Jenkins is already thinking about future projects.
“We really believe that the stages that we’re building, the backlot that we’re building, is conducive to the other shows we want to do now that we’re developing — Old Testament stuff like the story of Moses, the story of Noah, the story of Joseph,” Jenkins said. “We’re potentially developing a follow-up to this show with the birth of the early church, so we’d love to be here for a long time.”
Jenkins believes The Chosen proved that a successful show could be filmed in North Texas and hopes the state will continue to attract productions.
“Making it as user-friendly as possible is what is going to cause this film boom to become a big boom,” Jenkins said.