The Chosen producer reveals the 'miraculous' path to a new Christmas film

The realization of Dallas Jenkins' upcoming Christmas film belongs solely to God and a mother who really likes The Chosen.

Dallas Jenkins is best known as the creator of The Chosen. Before the hit biblical drama began, the Illinois native had another project in mind: He wanted to turn the 1972 novel “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” into a Christmas movie starring Lauren Graham (“Gilmore Girls”) and Judy Greer ( “Ant-Man”) and Pete Holmes (“Night Court”), among others.

However, the journey to securing the rights to Barbara Robinson's beloved book was nothing short of “miraculous,” Jenkins recently told CBN News.

“I was born to make it,” he said of the film, which shares the same name as the novel. “I am the only one who can do this story justice. The combination of humor… with the message of Jesus being told, but in a way that it doesn't seem like a sermon. There's a reason this book has been read in public schools – and it's not because the message has been watered down. Just because it's so well told, it doesn't feel like it's coming at you with a bible hammer. It feels like a fun story with a strong, good message.”

For those who don't know the premise of the book, it depicts the lives of six misfit children in the small town of Emmanuel. On the 75th anniversary of the local church's Christmas pageant – a Christmas display for children – the six outcast children force their way into holiday custom and take over the pageant, much to the chagrin of the townspeople and churchgoers. Ultimately, however, it is the wayward Herdman children – Imogene, Ralph, Claude, Leroy, Ollie and Gladys – who reveal the true meaning of Christmas, the message of the gospel.

Jenkins and his wife, Amanda, were so touched by the book that they began the tradition of reading the novel every year around the holidays – a Christmas custom that the Christian showrunner says he can't complete without crying.

That tradition gave way to another tradition: Jenkins began a years-long search for the rights to make the film, especially after re-reading the novel for the first time and realizing that it was “kind of like a Jesus story.” it deserved Hollywood treatment.

For years, Jenkins had a recurring note in his calendar — “Pray for Pageant” — a reminder to pray for the chance to turn the acclaimed novel into a film. As the old saying goes, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Jenkins approached the group of people who owned the film rights to the novel a few years ago. As it turned out, the studio that owned the rights forgot to renew them, causing them to lapse.

That was good news for Jenkins, but the best news came when one of the men who owned the rights told the director and producer that his mother was a fan of The Chosen.

Recalling the call, Jenkins said the man told him: “A few days ago my mom called me and said, 'Have you seen this show called 'The Chosen?'” And I said, “No. And she says, “You have to see this.” And he says, “Well, that's funny because the creator of the show always bugs me because he wants to make 'The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.'” And she says, ” You better give him the rights!” He’s the only one who can make this film! How come you didn't tell me that the creator of The Chosen wanted to make this movie?'”

That ultimately ended with Jenkins, after years of praying and distress, finally securing the rights to turn “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” into a film, hitting theaters on November 8th

“(It’s) a fulfilling calling to see this film finally come to life,” Jenkins said. “The fact that I'm even talking to you about this is in itself a miracle that I never thought would ever happen.”

Despite the delayed timing, Jenkins said he was grateful for the way everything turned out.

For the successful filmmaker, neither the timing of “The Chosen” nor “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” are coincidences.

“I know that 10 years ago I wouldn’t have known how to deal with this,” he said. “And I probably wouldn’t have made the product as well because I wouldn’t have been fully surrendered to God.

To find out more about the upcoming Christmas film, click here.

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