The Chosen hires former DreamWorks CEO Mark Sourian as Executive Producer, who will serve as the foundation for the biblically-based entertainment universe

EXCLUSIVE: Former DreamWorks executive Mark Sourian has been named executive producer of Angel Studios Original The chosen oneswith plans to build an entertainment “universe” from the popular faith-based series.

The biggest fan-backed entertainment project ever, Dallas Jenkins’ The chosen ones is an episodic drama series about the life of Jesus Christ (Jonathan Roumie) and the calling of his early disciples. The crowdfunded show, available through Angel Studios’ website and app as well as a dedicated app, has been translated into more than 50 languages ​​and has been viewed more than 510 million times in 175 countries. Licensed by Angel Studios to the likes of Netflix, Prime Video, Peacock, Fox Nation and Walmart, the show also released a handful of episodes and a Christmas special in theaters, in association with Fathom Events, which grossed around $34 million at the domestic box office.

Sourian comes to The chosen ones as it begins production on its fourth of seven guaranteed seasons, as Jenkins and his writers are currently planning season 5. Need speed and Exec manufacturing titles as echo 3, mailman, A dog’s goal And Ghost in the Shell. He joined Universal in 2015 as EVP and oversaw production The fate of evilMonitoring the production of titles such as The ring And House of sand and dung as co-president of production at DreamWorks.

Sourian’s appointment follows The Chosen Inc. ‘s appointment of Nathan Davis as head of marketing strategy and operations after more than 15 years at Disney, where he led theatrical marketing for Marvel, Star Wars, Disney and Pixar releases. The pair join a team that includes former MGM executive Katherine Warnock as vice president of original content; Tiny Horse alum Kyle Young, who oversees global distribution; and former Walmart brand manager Jeremiah Smith, who serves as vice president of marketing.

Sourian told Deadline he was introduced to him The chosen ones by UTA, which represents the show’s main creators Jenkins and Roumie, admitting he was “a little skeptical” about the series at first. “Because, not knowing the show, I had my own preconceived notions, ‘Oh, this is some kind of faith-based show,'” he said, “maybe a Trojan horse for some kind of religious, right-wing sensibility.” .'”

What he found instead was a show with strong “production value” and “vision,” with Sourian reminiscent of the greats he’s worked with like Steven Spielberg and Mark Boal. “I could see right away that Dallas had a real emotional connection to the material,” he shared. And the more I got to know Dallas, the more openly he talked about the show, referring to shows like The cable And west wing, which really intrigued me in the sense that I was like, ‘Wow. Really, really, this is a man with a vision, and it’s a show that’s a sublime show, and a show that doesn’t try to proselytize, and it’s different from what’s come before.

While Sourian admits that it’s unusual for an executive producer to be hired for a single series, he describes the move as fitting for a project that is “in full swing” both online and in theaters, especially given the fact that it Seasonal engagement is underway. for seven years and can be used as a launching pad for other faith-based projects in film and television.

“If you look at the Bible, it doesn’t sound rude, but it’s a universe – not to describe it as the Marvel universe or the DC universe. But it’s a universe of iconic figures and characters, including both the Old Testament and the New Testament,” Sourian said. “There is a desire to tell many different biblical stories, all of which are primal stories that have been told in one way or another, but have never been told specifically because they relate directly to the Bible.”

Sourian continued, “We feel like we have an ever-expanding range to tell other stories that deal with the Bible… So I think my role and title reflect a larger universe and the desire of The Chosen.” Inc. suggest. more of that.”