For the first time, The Chosen’s Christmas trilogy is heading to broadcast television. Fox will premiere The Chosen: The Three Kings on December 14, 2026, bringing a story that began with a Facebook release in 2017 to a national television audience. This final installment also introduces Taye Diggs as Balthasar, one of three travelers following an extraordinary sign toward Bethlehem.
The casting was revealed in a November 10 exclusive from Variety. Diggs will appear alongside Piter Marek as Melchior and Rahul Rai as Gaspar. Together, their characters provide a different perspective on the Nativity, placing the journey of the three kings at the center of the Christmas story.
The Chosen brings its final Christmas special to Fox in December
The Three Kings marks a notable change in how the franchise presents its holiday stories. Earlier Christmas productions reached audiences through social media and movie theaters. This time, the special will debut on Fox before becoming available to stream on Hulu the following day.
For viewers planning their holiday television schedule, these are the confirmed details:
- Special: The Chosen: The Three Kings.
- Premiere date: Monday, December 14, 2026.
- Broadcast time: 8 p.m. ET.
- Television network: Fox.
- Streaming availability: Hulu, beginning December 15.
- Main cast: Taye Diggs as Balthasar, Piter Marek as Melchior and Rahul Rai as Gaspar.
- Executive producers: Dallas Jenkins, Ryan Swanson and Taylor Thompson.
- Production company: 5&2 Studios.
- Franchise connection: Third and final installment of The Chosen’s Christmas trilogy.
Dallas Jenkins, creator of the main series, remains involved as an executive producer. Meanwhile, 5&2 Studios continues its association with the franchise through this production. Although the special belongs to the same television universe, its Fox premiere gives it a separate destination from the main show’s current streaming home.
Taye Diggs joins a journey shaped by prophecy and uncertainty
Rather than telling the Nativity exclusively from the perspective of those already in Bethlehem, The Three Kings follows visitors who must travel a considerable distance to reach the newborn Jesus. According to the official premise, an unusually brilliant light appears above Bethlehem and draws attention far beyond the surrounding region.
For three kings, that phenomenon signals the fulfillment of a prophecy announcing the birth of a new ruler. However, the implications are unsettling. The possibility of a changing political order, together with fears for their own survival, makes their decision to travel especially consequential.
Consequently, the journey is presented as more than a ceremonial visit. The travelers set out to honor the child whose arrival has been foretold, without fully understanding what awaits them. Their eventual discovery is described as something that transforms both their lives and the wider world.
Taye Diggs portrays Balthasar, completing the central trio with Piter Marek’s Melchior and Rahul Rai’s Gaspar. Diggs is familiar to television audiences through All American and Private Practice, while his film work includes How Stella Got Her Groove Back and The Best Man.
His career also extends to Broadway, with credits in Chicago, Moulin Rouge, Wicked and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Marek, meanwhile, has appeared in The Blacklist, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Girls5eva, Chicago Fire and Blue Bloods. Rai’s television credits include Ballard, Barry, A Man on the Inside and The Upshaws.
By concentrating on these three figures, the special explores the Nativity through the experiences of people who traveled from distant lands. Their perspective allows the story to consider not only the significance of Jesus’ birth, but also the uncertainty surrounding their decision to seek him out.
The Chosen Christmas trilogy has traveled across three different platforms
The December premiere also closes a story collection that has developed alongside the wider franchise for nearly a decade. Each Christmas installment has reached audiences through a different distribution format, making the trilogy’s history particularly useful for anyone discovering these productions for the first time.
The three installments are:
- The Shepherd (2017): The first Christmas special, originally released on Facebook. It also served as the pilot for The Chosen.
- The Messengers (2021): The second Christmas production, which premiered in movie theaters.
- The Chosen: The Three Kings (2026): The concluding installment, premiering December 14 on Fox before streaming on Hulu the next day.
Seen together, these releases trace a distinctive path from an early online production to theatrical exhibition and finally broadcast television. The new special is therefore significant for two reasons: it completes the Christmas trilogy and becomes its first installment to premiere on a broadcast network.
Importantly, the trilogy’s conclusion does not mean the main series is ending. The Christmas productions form a separate collection within the broader franchise, while the regular show continues its own release schedule.
The Fox premiere arrives as Season 6 begins on Prime Video
This timing places The Three Kings close to another major date for the franchise. Season 6 of The Chosen premieres November 15, 2026, on Prime Video, following the agreement involving Dallas Jenkins, 5&2 Studios and Amazon MGM Studios.
As covered in our report on The Chosen Season 6 and its theatrical finale, the main drama is continuing on Prime Video. The Christmas special, however, follows a different release arrangement, with Fox handling its television premiere and Hulu offering next-day streaming.
That distinction matters for anyone trying to find both productions. Viewers looking for the new season should turn to Prime Video, whereas those interested in the three kings’ Christmas journey will need Fox or Hulu.
The coming weeks also bring other television releases with their own viewing schedules. For example, we have examined the longer episodes and release plans for Percy Jackson Season 3, another series whose scheduling details are relevant to audiences following major streaming productions.
Ultimately, The Chosen’s Christmas special on Fox offers a conclusion to a trilogy that began before the main series became established. With Taye Diggs playing Balthasar and the narrative focused on the travelers’ search for Jesus, The Three Kings brings that collection to an end through a perspective centered on faith, prophecy and a difficult journey toward Bethlehem.
Creator of the website, Pokemon trainer by nature. Trying to report on everything related to the world of video games, series and movies. Yu-Gi-Oh is my weakness, collecting cards since the dawn of time.
