| The Chosen One | |
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 Promotional poster | |
| Spanish | El Elegido |
| Genre | |
| Based on | American Jesus by |
| Developed by |
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| Directed by | Everardo Gout |
| Starring |
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| Composers |
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| Country of origin |
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| Original languages |
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| Production | |
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| Running time | 35-48 minutes |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Netflix |
| Release | August 16, 2023 (2023-08-16) |
The Chosen One (Spanish:El Elegido) is afantasy television series developed by Everardo and Leopoldo Gout, and Jorge Dorantes forNetflix. The series is based on the 2004–23 comic book seriesAmerican Jesus (initially titledChosen) byMark Millar andPeter Gross, and follows a boy who discovers he has the abilities ofJesus Christ. Unlike the source material, the show takes place in Mexico rather than the United States. The series features anensemble cast starring Bobby Luhnow,Dianna Agron, Lilith Amelie Siordia Mejia, Juan Fernando González Anguamea, Jorge Javier Arballo,Alejandro Edda, Alberto Pérez-Jácome Kenna, Patricio Serna Meza,Carlos Bardem,Alfonso Dosal,Sofía Sisniega, Eileen Yáñez, andTenoch Huerta. It released on August 16, 2023.
Jodie, a twelve-year-old boy in Baja California, suddenly discovers he hasJesus-like powers: he can turn water into wine, make the crippled walk, and, perhaps, even raise the dead, which he does on at least two occasions. As the Evangelical and the Yaquí leaders in town try to get him to use his powers to save humankind, all Jodie wants to do initially is to impress the girl he likes and stand up to his bullies. As Jodie struggles and eventually comes to terms with his destiny as a channel for higher powers, everything gets thrown for a loop when he discovers the truth around his identity.[1]
— Netflix
The series ends with a puzzle: is he a force for good or evil, and will a great war between these forces take place?
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Arrival" | Everardo Gout | Teleplay by : Everardo Gout &Leopoldo Gout and Jorge Dorantes Story by : Jorge Dorantes and Everardo Gout & Leopoldo Gout | August 16, 2023 (2023-08-16) |
| 2 | "Miracles?" | Everardo Gout | Iturri Sosa and Jorge Dorantes | August 16, 2023 (2023-08-16) |
| 3 | "The Awakening" | Everardo Gout | Kevin Rodriguez and Jorge Dorantes | August 16, 2023 (2023-08-16) |
| 4 | "True or False?" | Everardo Gout | Tina de la Torre and Jorge Dorantes | August 16, 2023 (2023-08-16) |
| 5 | "Faith" | Everardo Gout | Jorge Dorantes and Kevin Rodriguez | August 16, 2023 (2023-08-16) |
| 6 | "Revelation" | Everardo Gout | Jorge Dorantes and Everardo Gout & Leopoldo Gout | August 16, 2023 (2023-08-16) |
What they've done with this is just masterful... It looks likeRoma orCity of God, a six-part series of absolute beauty and I've loved every second of this... [the show is] a horror story, but also acoming of age and has aStand by Me vibe...
Initially,Mark Millar andPeter Gross'Millarworld comic book trilogyChosen (American Jesus) was set to be adapted into a feature film in March 2009, withMatthew Vaughn to direct, and produce under hisMarv Films banner with Kris Thykier, after collaborating with Millar onKick-Ass (2010).[6] However, Vaughn denied he was directing the movie, and claimed to have only been discussing with Millar.[7] Waypoint Entertainment was also to be involved, and attempted to restart the project in 2016.[5]
In July 2018, amultilingual television series adaptation of the comic was announced (alongside otherMillarworld properties) forNetflix, with Everardo and Leopoldo Gout serving as showrunners and executive producers, with the former also directing.[8]
Principal photography was set to begin sometime in spring 2020, but was delayed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[9] Filming eventually commenced on April 25, 2022, inBaja California inMexico. On June 16, 2022, a van accident occurred outside the set that killed two cast members, and injured six crew members from the show, as a result of a new driver going at high speeds combined with a majority of the passengers not wearing seatbelts, leading production company Redrum to suspend production temporarily.[10][11][12] Additionally, a writer on the show, Rick Zazueta, had claimed in aFacebook post that other cast members had expressed concerns over "logistical and transportation issues" prior to the accident.[13]
The series had its first look at the 2022 NetflixTudum event, whereTenoch Huerta andDianna Agron were announced as part of the cast.[1]
In March 2023, Netflix officially announced the series, on top of revealing a new poster artwork.[3][14][15] In June, the first teaser trailer premiered at that year's Tudum event.[16]
The Chosen One streamed all six episodes worldwide on August 16, 2023.[2][5][17]
On review aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, the series holds a 86% approval rating with an average rating of 6.3/10 based on 7 reviews.[18]
