Dallas Jenkins talks the cost and calling of telling God’s stories: ‘It doesn’t come easy’

October 24, 2025

Dallas Jenkins, the 50-year-old director of “The Chosen” is weighing in on the success of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” and his two decade project to make the film a reality.

The Christian Post reports that Jenkins was working on the Christmas film long before he became a household name in faith-based entertainment due to his groundbreaking series about the life of Jesus.

As “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” arrives on digital, Blu-ray and DVD, Jenkins says that he is hearing from people from “all walks of life, all backgrounds, faith backgrounds or lack thereof,” telling him the film is a “new Christmas classic.”

“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” is based on Barbara Robinson’s beloved novel and tells the story of the six unruly Herdman children, who crash a small-town church’s annual Nativity play. 

Jenkins told the Christian Post, “It’s been so heartwarming,” adding, “I chased this movie for 20 years. It is the movie that I had always wanted to make as long as I can remember.”

The film invites both believers and skeptics to rediscover the Christmas story from the perspective of children who are “from the wrong side of the tracks.”

The creator of “The Chosen” has previously described how he was “coming off a big career failure” before launching the show which has since become a global phenomenon.

Jenkins has expressed gratitude and excitement about the future of faith-based programming.

But the creator emphasizes that he’s not seeking approval, saying, “I don’t do projects anymore to avoid criticism or gain praise. I really am trying to just please God and my wife with what I do.”

Jenkins stated, “But when you do something that people are moved by and impacted by, it really reminds you of how fun it is to do this.”

Photo: top, Credit: Leah Klett/The Christian Post