Episode 212 - How The Chosen Went From $0 to 520 Million Viewers | Chris & Chad

Dec 15, 2025

Guest

Chad Gundersen

Guest

Chris Juen

Chris Juen and Chad Gundersen, co-founders of Out of Order Studios, dive into the incredible journey of The Chosen, which skyrocketed from a $0 budget to an audience of 520 million. They discuss the importance of pursuing excellence in faith-based content, emphasizing the need to reject poor-quality media. The duo also shares insights on investing wisely in the unpredictable entertainment industry, advocating for a slate approach rather than single projects. Their personal experiences highlight the impact of a caring production culture and innovative storytelling.

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ANECDOTE

Humble Start That Led To Partnership

Chad Gundersen flew to California, slept on Dallas Jenkins' hotel room floor, and started as an unpaid PA before becoming a co-producer.
That scrappy start led to long-term collaboration and eventually Out of Order joining The Chosen project.

INSIGHT

Studio Quality On Indie Budgets

The Chosen fit Out of Order's model: studio-level skill with independent budgets and tighter efficiency.
That hybrid approach enabled high quality without studio waste.

ANECDOTE

From Four Episodes To Global Reach

The Chosen began with funding for only four episodes and no guarantee of episode five or beyond.
Season two and the COVID period were turning points that revealed massive audience demand.

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Behind The Chosen: Faith, Film, and the Fight for Culture

Join host John Coleman on the set of The Chosen in Midlothian, Texas, for an unprecedented conversation with producers Chris Juen and Chad Gundersen of Out of Order Studios. From the Sanhedrin throne room itself, Chris and Chad share the untold story of how a crowdfunded Jesus project became a global phenomenon reaching 520 million people—and what it means for faith-driven investors seeking to impact culture through entertainment.

Key Investment & Industry Topics:

Why entertainment investment requires a platform approach, not one-off project bets
How The Chosen scaled from $0 budget for episode 5 to a multi-season global franchise
The three investment pillars for cultural impact: spark the next generation, build infrastructure, create content
Why investors should think like oil drillers: invest in a slate of 10 films, not just one
The unpredictable nature of entertainment returns and how to approach risk wisely
Building production companies that operate between $1M-$150M budgets with studio-level quality

Powerful Quotes:

"I'm tired of crappy Christian content. God doesn't want your crap. He calls us to be excellent." - Chad Gundersen

"Christians yielded culture, then got mad when culture went bad. Fine, it's risky, but is it worth the risk?" - Chris Juen

"Platforms, not projects. How do you get around the most excellent people in the industry who have a slate of content and invest in that diversified platform?" - John Coleman

About the Guests:

Chris Juen and Chad Gundersen are the co-founders of Out of Order Studios and executive producers of The Chosen, the largest crowdfunded media project in history. Chris brings 20 years of studio experience from major productions including Contact, Spider-Man, and Polar Express, while Chad contributed 20 years of independent filmmaking expertise. Together, they've pioneered a hybrid production model that delivers studio-quality content at independent budgets—proving that faith-driven content can compete at the highest levels of entertainment while maintaining both artistic excellence and fiscal responsibility.

Their production philosophy centers on creating environments where cast and crew are valued, where believers and non-believers alike can experience the gospel through excellent storytelling, and where investors can participate in cultural transformation through strategic, well-managed capital deployment.