(OSV News) -- Beginning March 27, the fifth season of the hit series "The Chosen," which focuses on the life of Jesus and his closest disciples, will hit theaters in the weeks leading up to Easter, which is April 20. The latest installment, "The Chosen: Last Supper" portrays the events of Holy Week.
5&2 Studios announced Nov. 25 that "The Chosen: Last Supper" will be released in the U.S. and Canada in three parts: Part One (episodes 1-2), Part Two (episodes 3-5) and Part Three (episodes 6-8).
The Season 5 trailer shows Jesus arriving in Jerusalem, throwing the merchants and money changers out of the temple, glimpses of the Last Supper, and other events leading up to his passion and death.
Speaking at the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis July 20, Catholic actor Jonathan Roumie, who portrays Jesus, described the season as containing "probably the most iconic scenes in Jesus' life and ministry because the institution of the Eucharist is basically what gave himself to us for eternity."
He said that a primary reason these scenes were so meaningful to him is because of the Eucharist in his own life.
"Look what we get to receive in our lives every day, at least every Sunday, hopefully more than every Sunday," he said. "Receiving the Eucharist, going to daily Mass for me has changed my life."
He told those gathered at the congress that he was there "the day after I spent a week filming the Last Supper." He recounted how his spiritual director saying a rosary for him helped him get through the week of filming.
"I had my spiritual director with me, Father Ian," he said. "He flew out to Texas to be with me to make sure that I had all the spiritual grounding that I needed to go into these scenes properly and with a right heart and with a holy posture."
He described experiencing pain and weight on his chest before filming and thinking, "Satan's at it again, trying to discourage me, trying to get inside my head and make me think about my humanity versus the divinity of our Lord, and focusing on him."
"And so I started to pray, and I also knew, as I said, I had an ally with me in the room just above, and it turns out he was praying a rosary for me at that time that I was going through that," he said. "And about 15 minutes later, it subsided, and I went upstairs, and he's like, 'Oh, I just finished praying a rosary for you.'"
"The reason why it became so stressful to me at one point where it manifested in this anxiety was because as a Catholic, I understand the weight," he explained. "I understand the reality of what it is we believe and what that host represents and what that bread and that wine, once the Holy Spirit comes down and changes them, what that actually means to us and who that actually is now that we are about to receive."
He said that people can watch and "know that every drop of blood and sweat and tears -- and there were many tears going into these scenes for many, many reasons -- but the primary being that 'look what we get to experience.'"
"The Eucharist for me is healing," he said. "The Eucharist for me is peace. The Eucharist for me is my grounding. The Eucharist for me is his heart within me."
According to the announcement, beginning April 10, "The Chosen: Last Supper" Part One will also roll out theatrically in more than 40 global territories. The season will debut later in 2025 on streaming services.
"I'm possibly more excited to bring Season 5 to the world than any other season we've done," said Dallas Jenkins, creator and executive producer of "The Chosen."
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