Dallas Jenkins has helped change hearts and minds around the world with “The Chosen,” the hit series that reimagines the life of Jesus and His followers. 

Now, through “The Chosen Adventures,” a new animated spinoff, he’s inviting both children and adults to rediscover faith through the wide-eyed wonder and curiosity of a child.

“I never want to stop being curious,” Jenkins told The Christian Post. “Yes, there are biblical principles that define my life and never change, but my understanding of them, my ability to relate to others, I want that curiosity to keep growing. I think that’s what Jesus meant when He told adults to have the faith of a child.”

That childlike perspective anchors “The Chosen Adventures,” a 14-episode series created by Ryan Swanson and executive produced by Jenkins, premiering Oct.17 on Prime Video. The show will also launch Oct. 31 on Minno, the exclusive kids-first platform.

The show follows 9-year-old Abby and her best friend, Joshua, as they encounter Jesus in the ancient city of Capernaum. Featuring the voices of Yvonne Orji, Jordin Sparks, and “Chosen” stars Jonathan Roumie and Elizabeth Tabish, the series blends humor, imagination and biblical truths in a way that is accessible to children. 

“It’s a show that’s sweet and sincere, but it’s not just for kids,” Jenkins said. “There’s a curiosity and whimsy to it that I think we adults sometimes forget. I hope that when parents watch it with their children, they see faith through that lens again, the excitement of discovery.”

Jenkins, who turned 50 this year, said “The Chosen Adventures” reflects both his personal faith journey and his creative mission. 

“In episode three of the first season of ‘The Chosen,’ Jesus interacts with children,” he recalled. “He tells them, ‘Sometimes adults can be smart, but they lack wisdom. Never lose this curiosity. Never lose this whimsy.’ That’s what I wanted to preserve here. Kids like Abby ask questions, they’re curious, and that’s beautiful. We need that in our faith, too.”

While “The Chosen Adventures” is whimsical in tone, complete with talking animals, vivid animation, and comedic dialogue, it never strays from the biblically sound core of “The Chosen” universe. Though animated, the show is still, Jenkins stressed, a “Chosen” project. 

“There’s a bit of a heightened reality, sheep and pigeons talk, the animation exaggerates moments, but we never want to stray from biblical truths,” Jenkins said. “Even in this playful format, we wanted Jesus to feel authentic, to reflect the character we know from the Gospels.”

“The character of Jesus is one where we thought, all right, yes, He looks a little bit different because He's in animated form,” Jenkins added. “He's talking a little bit differently because He's talking to a child, and this is an animated series, but I never want to stray from the character and the intentions of Jesus in the Gospels, and I do believe that humor and whimsy and the ability to connect with kids is an essential part of the character.”

Yvonne Orji, best known for her Emmy-nominated role on HBO’s “Insecure,” told CP she joined “The Chosen Adventures” because it offered her a chance to merge her faith and creativity.

“I love anytime I can connect what I do for a living, acting, humor, with something that infuses the world with a little more Jesus,” the 41-year-old actress said. “And to do it in a fresh, creative way? That’s a yes for me.”

“The only reason I’m in Hollywood is because of God,” she added. “That’s the anchor for everything. Even reading these scripts, I found myself smiling and thinking, ‘Kids are going to love this.’ And then my mind goes deeper, because every character, even Sheep, has a kind of come-to-Jesus moment. The show reflects what the Bible teaches: God isn’t afraid of our questions. He welcomes them.”

Orji, who voices Pigeon, one of the animated characters alongside Paul Walter Hauser’s character Sheep, said she was drawn to the idea of helping children get to know Jesus as a friend, approachable and real. 

“I don’t have kids yet, but I have a niece and nephew who are 5 and 2,” she said. “I just wanted more bragging rights. My niece is very opinionated, and now she can say, ‘My aunt’s in that show about Jesus!’ But beyond that, it makes me happy to think I’m helping her faith journey a little bit.”

“I want [kids] to know Him as a friend,” she added. “Kids have imaginary friends all the time. Imagine if they really thought of Jesus that way, someone who loves them, wants them to succeed, to be their unique, beautiful selves. Imagine how differently they’d show up in the world.”

Hauser also told CP he views “The Chosen Adventures” as part of a larger movement toward more thoughtful, artistically ambitious faith-based storytelling.

“It’s a competitive, oversaturated world with a million different forms of distraction, let alone in the entertainment industry,” the Emmy-winning actor told CP. “I think faith-based folks are getting more savvy and more thoughtful and pumping out cooler projects.”

“The Chosen Adventures” premieres Oct. 17 on Prime Video.