The film was familiar however the language was recent for Come and See CEO Stan Jantz.
As he sat in a theater in Warsaw, he looked across the room and saw people laughing and crying in the identical places he had laughed and cried when he watched The Chosen, the favored streaming series that tells the story of Jesus through the eyes of the disciples. That was the moment of truth for Jantz. The real test for a translation—going beyond accuracy alone—is whether or not it connects with human hearts.
“Translation also must be beautiful,” Jantz told CT. “It’s an art as much because it is a science.”
Come and See has dubbed or subtitled The Chosen into 50 languages thus far. The group has plans to do the identical for 550 more languages.
No TV show has ever been translated into that many languages. Few shows are dubbed greater than a handful of times, even in an era where viewership of translated programs has dramatically increased, because of streaming services’ global business plans. Netflix can dub shows into about three dozen languages but mostly works in French, German, Polish, Italian, Turkish, Castilian Spanish, Latin American Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese. Some very fashionable shows are remade in one other language, like Suits, which has Japanese, Korean, and Mongolian versions.
Baywatch, starring David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson, has been translated 34 times. That was the record, until Come and See began turning out dubbed versions of The Chosen.
There’s not a variety of profit in dubbing, so for-profit efforts will only go thus far. A nonprofit like Come and See can do more.
The group wants to succeed in 1 billion individuals with the show, so The Chosen can connect people to Jesus and produce them to faith. Come and See has partnered with The Chosen to translate this system for audiences that might otherwise never get to observe Jesus walk on water, heal the sick, and preach the Good News in their very own language.
“It’s an enormous challenge,” said Jantz, “but we’re finding it to be a goal that’s so very vital.”
The dubbed versions of The Chosen are currently available on an app. It takes Come and See between three and five months to translate a season of the show right into a recent language. The group partners with other organizations that focus on translation to hurry up the method.
As with Bible translation projects, Come and See has prioritized the most-spoken languages, where a translation of the show could have an effect on the most important number of individuals.
“But there are what I might call exceptions,” Jantz said.
One of the primary 50 translations, for instance, was into Malagasy, which is spoken by about 25 million people in Madagascar and the Comoros. That dub job was prioritized on the request of Madagascar’s president, Andry Rajoelina.
Rajoelina watched the show and wanted everyone in his country to find a way to see it, Jantz said. It’s typical for TV to be subtitled for viewers within the African island country, but many individuals in Madagascar cannot read. Rajoelina wanted those people to grasp The Chosen too.
The Chosen was dubbed into Malagasy in 2023. It is believed to be the primary show ever dubbed within the language. The impact was powerful.
“The effect goes on to this present day,” Jantz said. “It’s been almost a 12 months since that was done, but we still get stories of how they’re taking these translated episodes into distant places. It’s really exciting to see.”
The most-watched translation of The Chosen, thus far, is Brazilian Portuguese. The first two episodes of season 4 were shown on 1,100 screens across Brazil and viewed by 275,000 people.
“Our prayer is that this series might be utilized by God to have a meaningful impact world wide and introduce many to the hope that is barely present in Jesus,” Rick Dempsey Sr., a vp at Come and See, told CT in an email.
Translation is a challenge, though. Come and See not only has to evaluate the number of people that might want to observe The Chosen in one other language but whether the technology is out there in an area for people to find a way to observe. Dempsey called this the “digital vitality” of a language.
When Come and See decides to translate The Chosen right into a language, they search out pastors, Bible translators, and Bible scholars who speak that language.
“Whenever the English script features a verbatim quote from Scripture, it’s crucial to make sure we confer with the corresponding passage within the vernacular Bible translation,” Dempsey said. “We document the book, chapter, and verse from the Bible where a quote comes from to assist ensure consistency.”
They even have to seek out native speakers and language experts to assist with English idioms. Phrases like sitting geese or train of thought—and even born again—could be easily misunderstood if not handled with care, he said.
One of the experts who has helped is Imed Dabbour, a Christian journalist and poet from Tunisia. Dabbour began watching The Chosen together with his children during a COVID-19 lockdown and loved it.
“The show’s unique Christian message speaks volumes, especially through its real depiction of Jesus and the compelling and unique story of Matthew, which personally resonated with me,” he said. “When I stumbled upon a plan for translating the show into Arabic, I felt compelled to succeed in out and take motion.”
Dabbour, like Jantz, believes that accuracy is basically vital but that the test of translation is capturing linguistic subtleties and connecting with people on an emotional level.
“We strive to effectively convey the intended message to a Middle Eastern audience while respecting cultural nuances. It’s a fragile balance,” he said. “Bringing the show to diverse audiences of their mother tongue is a robust technique to touch hearts and ignite curiosity, potentially leading viewers to explore Scripture further.”
Kyle Young, head of The Chosen’s marketing and distribution department, said the show has now reached 200 million viewers. The viewership outside the US is now larger than its American audience. It is very popular in Brazil, Mexico, India, Poland, and the Philippines.
“We have seen an explosion of The Chosen all world wide,” he told CT. “If the interpretation work was poor, we will surely not see that level of engagement. That is a big aspect of the success internationally.”
The Chosen is predicted to conclude after three more seasons. The translation of the show into 550 more languages will go on for years after that, Jantz said. For him, it’s worthwhile, since the show is greater than a show. The individuals who watch it could change into not only fans but followers of Jesus.
