The 2012 film version of the famous novel and stage production "Les Miserables" has been surpassing many expectations and is on course to become the highest-grossing musical in North American box-office history. Some analysts are saying its strong Christian values are drawing believers to the theaters in droves.
Filmmaker and media consultant Phil Cooke, who has worked on a number of Christian projects in Hollywood, told The Christian Post: "This is the kind of movie Christians should be supporting, taking their friends to, and then discussing afterwards."
"Les Miserables," originally a French historical novel by Victor Hugo published in 1862 and considered by many to be one of the most significant works of the nineteenth century, explores a number of central Christian themes, such as forgiveness, hope and redemption, and has been adopted into various formats.
The novel was turned into an English-language musical, performed originally at the Barbican Center in London in Oct. 1985, and went on to become one of the most successful stage productions worldwide, being adapted for Broadway in 1987, and revived again in 2006.
While "Les Miserables" has previously played on TV and movie screens, the 2012 effort to bring the musical to the big screen could be considered the most significant one to date, as it features a star-studded cast with actors Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe and Amanda Seyfriend. With an estimated $61 million budget, the movie has grossed over $103 million domestically for a total of $170 million worldwide since its release on Christmas Day.
Besides the star-studded cast, several reviews have noted that the movie's strong Christian themes are what are drawing audiences in.
"'Les Miserables' is booming at the box office, and that financial success can in part be traced to a group of its biggest boosters: Christians, particularly evangelicals whom NBC Universal went after with a microtargeted marketing strategy," a CNN review states. "The story in 'Les Miserables' is heavy with Christian themes of grace, mercy and redemption. The line everyone seems to remember is 'to love another person is to see the face of God,'" it adds.
"If you're a Christian and you're seeing this film, you can't help but see these themes," Jonathan Bock, founder and president of Grace Hill Media, the firm behind the movie's marketing campaign, told CNN.
Filmmaker and media consultant Phil Cooke, who has worked on a number of Christian projects in Hollywood, told The Christian Post: "This is the kind of movie Christians should be supporting, taking their friends to, and then discussing afterwards."
"Les Miserables," originally a French historical novel by Victor Hugo published in 1862 and considered by many to be one of the most significant works of the nineteenth century, explores a number of central Christian themes, such as forgiveness, hope and redemption, and has been adopted into various formats.
The novel was turned into an English-language musical, performed originally at the Barbican Center in London in Oct. 1985, and went on to become one of the most successful stage productions worldwide, being adapted for Broadway in 1987, and revived again in 2006.
While "Les Miserables" has previously played on TV and movie screens, the 2012 effort to bring the musical to the big screen could be considered the most significant one to date, as it features a star-studded cast with actors Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe and Amanda Seyfriend. With an estimated $61 million budget, the movie has grossed over $103 million domestically for a total of $170 million worldwide since its release on Christmas Day.
Besides the star-studded cast, several reviews have noted that the movie's strong Christian themes are what are drawing audiences in.
"'Les Miserables' is booming at the box office, and that financial success can in part be traced to a group of its biggest boosters: Christians, particularly evangelicals whom NBC Universal went after with a microtargeted marketing strategy," a CNN review states. "The story in 'Les Miserables' is heavy with Christian themes of grace, mercy and redemption. The line everyone seems to remember is 'to love another person is to see the face of God,'" it adds.
"If you're a Christian and you're seeing this film, you can't help but see these themes," Jonathan Bock, founder and president of Grace Hill Media, the firm behind the movie's marketing campaign, told CNN.
