Project
The Chosen: Innovative Release Strategy Surpasses Expectations
Project Scope
Publicity & Public Relations
Entertainment, Film Marketing, Film Promotion
The Chosen is a groundbreaking historical drama based on the life of Jesus Christ (played by Jonathan Roumie), as seen through the eyes of those who knew him.
Set against the backdrop of Roman oppression in first-century Israel, the show shares an authentic and intimate look at Jesus’ revolutionary life and teachings. Currently in the fourth of a planned seven seasons, The Chosen is an independent production written, directed, and produced by Dallas Jenkins and distributed globally by Lionsgate.
With over 200 million viewers, The Chosen is one of the most-watched shows in the world. The series is consistently a top performer across streaming platforms Amazon Prime, Peacock, and Netflix, and has just been picked up on Disney+. It is also a top-rated broadcast weekly on The CW. What started as a crowd-funded project has now garnered over 770 million episode views and more than 12 million social media followers.
The Challenge: Taking a Theatrical Risk
With the release of season four, The Chosen was looking to try something different. For the first time ever, they wanted to give the entire season a theatrical release in Canadian and American theatres. After successfully testing the release of selected season three episodes in Canadian theatres the year prior, The Chosen knew Graf-Martin would be able to help with this wider-scale vision.
However, despite the earlier success with portions of season three, a challenge presented itself: no other TV series had ever screened an entire season in theatres, and no one—including The Chosen—even knew if it could work.
Perhaps an even greater challenge was that the release of the episodes would be staggered. Episodes 1-3, 4-6, and 7-8 would be given two-week runs in theatres so audiences would have a “truly singular experience.” If viewers didn’t watch or like episodes 1-3 in theatres, it was unlikely they would turn up for episodes 4-6 or 7-8. As trailblazers for a new release model, the Chosen was taking an enormous risk.
The Solution: Tactics That Engage
As part of a lear-long partnership with The Chosen, Graf-Martin began by securing interviews with cast and crew on Canadian faith-based media outlets to build excitement for the fourth season. Cast members were able to discuss the fourth season and highlight the importance of viewing the first three episodes in theatres in order to build momentum for the rest of the series. The Graf-Martin team also highlighted the importance to media outlets directly, so they could discuss it during the interview or while sharing about the film release on-air or on social media.
Graf-Martin then implemented a Canadian media tour with Ryan Swanson and Tyler Thompson, the writers behind The Chosen. They joined Graf-Martin in Toronto and visited faith media outlets in person for interviews. A VIP screening of the first two episodes of season four was also scheduled in the Greater Toronto Area. Graf-Martin invited faith film fans, Canadian faith media, and Canadian church leaders. Over 200 people attended the event, and Ryan and Tyler held a Q&A session about the series. There was also a photo opportunity with Ryan and Tyler, where attendees could take a picture with them.
Multiple people shared their photos on social media, telling their friends and family to watch The Chosen season four in theatres.
Ministries that attended the screening include Open Doors Canada, Karis Disability Services, Redeemer University, and Muskoka Bible Centre.
29 Churches Represented
6 Canadian faith media outlets attended, including Life 100.3, Crossroads Christian Communications, UCB Radio, Sound of Faith Broadcasting, and The Anglican Journal
The estimated reach of the media tour is 9,155,560 people, with an estimated value of $84,688.95
Finally, Graf-Martin highlighted the fourth season of The Chosen on Faithfilms.ca and on @faithfilmsca social media. The release information, along with ticketing information and a full Canadian theatre list, was sent to Faithfilms’ subscribers list of over 16,000 people.
The Results: 4x Above Goal
Graf-Martin’s tactical strategy for engaging Canadian audiences was a tremendous success. In 60 days, The Chosen received 21 faith-based media mentions, 21 mainstream media mentions, and 17 interviews. Along with the pre-screening event, over 10,000 churches were engaged, and partnerships for film promotion were established with three non-profit organizations.
The fourth season played on Canadian big screens over several weeks and was well-received right across the country. The Chosen had set a specific financial target for ticket sales in Canadian theatres. With the concerted efforts of Graf-Martin, ticket sales closed out at four times The Chosen’s goal for the Canadian market!
Testimonial from Client
“We’re glad to be working with Graf-Martin in Canada and seeing them use their expertise, experience, and credible relationships with media, church, and ministry leaders…”
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