Andrew James Allen, right, portrays Pontius Pilate in ‘The Chosen’ series, with Pilate’s wife Claudia played by Sarah J. Bartholomew. (Angel Studios) It’s being reported “the biggest surprise on the movie charts this weekend was not even a movie,” as the crowdfunded Christian sensation “The Chosen: Season 4” debuted in the No. 2 position, grossing nearly $7.5 million since Thursday, Feb. 1.

The film is actually the first three episodes of the TV show’s new season bundled together, as it combines accurate Bible events with imagined, yet plausible, scenarios of what life was like for Jesus and His followers during the first century.

It’s being featured as a limited engagement event, playing only through Feb. 14, and was screened at more than 2,300 locations, the largest-ever footprint for a release by Fathom Events.

BoxOfficePro reported: “Angel Studios’ Christian-themed series starring Jonathan Roumie as Jesus has been a crowdfunded streaming success since 2017, with over 100 million reported viewers. The Chosen Season 3: Episodes 1 & 2 grossed nearly twice Season 4, taking in $11,865,561 million and the #2 spot in November 2022 on 2,027 screens. Those episodes eventually took in a cume of $14.5 million over three weeks. Theatrical events in 2023 for The Chosen Season 3 Finale ($5.5 million) and Christmas with the Chosen: Holy Night ($4.6 million) also performed well.

“If The Chosen: S4 Episodes 1-3 can hold on to a large enough chunk of its theater count it could easily best recent religious hits like 2023’s Journey to Bethlehem ($7.7 million) and His Only Son ($13.5 million). The Season 4 release is #29 on the all-time worldwide box office for religious-themed films.”