Faith-Based Movies: In Hollywood To Stay?

Deadline has a nice overview of the recent faith-movie trend:

After the strong staying power of this weekend’s God’s Not Dead and the stronger than expected opening of Noah following on the heels of the surprise opening of Son of God earlier this year, is there any doubt anymore Hollywood that if you build it, they will come? That’s three for three … but wait, actually there’s more. Back in 2008, the Kirk Cameron-starring Fireproof took a lot of people by surprise. On a $500,000 budget raised by Sherwood Baptist church, the faith-based picture ended up grossing $33.4M when it was released. They did it again in 2011, when on a $2M budget, Courageous opened to $9.1M and went onto make $34.5M. Before that, in 2004, the Mel Gibson-directed The Passion of the Christ opened to $83.8M domestically and went on to gross $611M worldwide.

“I think that is a smart assumption,” Megan Colligan, president of domestic marketing and distribution for Paramount told Deadline. 

The next heavenly story up will be Heaven Is For Real, based on the 2010 book written by Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent. The book debuted at No. 3 on the New York Times best-sellers list and then rose to No. 1. Sony purchased rights to the book in 2011 and Randall Wallace (Braveheart) is directing. The movie stars Greg Kinnear (As Good as It Gets). Unaided awareness for the film is pretty low at the moment two weeks out, but with the right marketing campaign, Sony could pull off the fourth faith-based film to open decently.

Affirm Films, which typically gears its features toward evangelical Christians, has the family comedy Moms’ Night Out starring Patricia Heaton, Sean Astin and Trace Adkins opening on May 9, Mother's Day Weekend.  Affirm made $43.9 million stateside with the $18 million-budgeted Soul Surfer in April 2011. On October 3, the Nicolas Cage action film Left Behind about a commercial airline pilot steering his plane in the aftermath of the rapture will be released.  Then on December 12, Fox releases Exodus, which is more along the lines of the big-budget Noah. The Biblical tale in Exodus is that of Moses as played by Christian Bale who leads the Israelites out of Egypt to a safe haven. Will it be epic? It’s a Ridley Scott movie.

So will there be more of these Biblical/faith-based films, and can they be sustainable past their first opening weekends and, more importantly, churn a profit for the filmmakers and distributors? “It’s a good question and I don’t know the answer to that,” said Fox’s Chris Aronson. “As far as sustainability and profitability, it’s hard to say because of the differences in the budgets. There are plenty of examples of faith-based films that have been smartly marketing and targeted to a faith-based audiences that have been successful. It proves that there is an appetite for it, but I think that credibility is an issue as well.” He notes that filmmakers and distribs must be involved in catering toward faith-based audiences. “You can’t pull the wool over the faith-based audiences eyes because they will see it and reject it. And I think (Son of God producers) Mark Burnett and Roma Downey had ultimate credibility because they went directly to the opinion makers in the faith-based community and showed that they had the goods.”

Usually, the way these pictures perform is that they open strong and then fall off. That was the case for Son of God which dropped about 60% in its second weekend, but despite that, this re-edited film from History's The Bible series footage, has grossed $57.9M as of this weekend. 

God’s Not Dead had the third-highest per screen with around $7,714 per screen in its second weekend; third only behind Noah ($12,335) and Budapest Hotel ($9,007). Its per screen average is also above the second weekend of Lionsgate’s franchise in the making Divergent ($6,732). It only fell 1% in its second weekend out. Easter is around the corner. So will it do well through Easter or was this second weekend a fluke? Was it helped by the power of Duck Dynasty (with stars Willie and Korie Robertson) who made an appearance and helped to promote the film?

The lesson to studio heads and marketers is — whether its Noah, God’s Not Dead, Son Of God, Fireproof or Courageous – there is an audience for Biblical films. Perhaps, it takes a thoughtful approach to pull it off. Son of God played well across the country, but Roma and Mark had and took the time to meet with church leaders and listen to them and then incorporate marketing and distribution strategies to open the film to the particular audience.

Tapping into the faith-based audience means speaking directly to these infrequent moviegoers in a way that is credible on a budget that is reasonable. They have proven to be bankable. So, say, a major star anchors one of these — instead of a Kevin Sorbo or Kirk Cameron — and makes a financially-responsible deal for all parties involved, it could prove a new audience for that star and also a nice sum for all profit participants. Also at the same time, these pictures give exhibitors the kind of lower-end budgeted movies that are often more profitable than the Hollywood tentpoles.

These individuals may be infrequent moviegoers for mainstream movies, but they are frequent moviegoers for Biblical and faith-based films. And as Fortune 500 companies have found in developing new products for a new market, there are pitfalls, yes, but if and when you hit it’s a goldmine of loyal customers. And for a star, it could be their biggest openings to date, which was the case for Russell Crowe this weekend in Noah. Combining its marketing to faith-based and to mainstream action audiences, Paramount pulled it off. And Crowe and the studio can thank, in no small part, Emma Watson and her team for her strong social media footprint (and savvy on how to utilize it).

Aronson sums it up nicely: “What this shows is that there is an appetite for these type of movies and that there is a particular segment of the population that is being terribly under-served and if you give them the product they want to see, they will come.”

read full Deadline article

Stellar Kart to Release EP of 'Frozen' Covers

Like many people, Christian pop/rock band Stellar Kart has the songs from the Disney movie Frozen stuck in their collective head. And rather than "Let It Go," the group has decided to fully embrace the latest cartoon craze by releasing an EP of cover tunes from the smash hit.

On their Facebook page during the past week, Stellar Kart announced they will be releasing a Frozen EP on April 15, complete with "some of our favorite songs from the movie."

Lead singer Adam Agee is pretty excited about the results, according to a social media post of his own: "I'm fangirling right now. Seriously can't wait for you guys to hear this!!!"

The announcement comes just after another Christian artist covered Frozen. At a recent show in Michigan, Josh Wilson played the runaway hit song from the movie as an ode to the chilly temperatures there.

Beckah Shae Aims To Raise Generation Of "Champions"

Beckah Shae is preparing to raise a generation of champions with her brand new electronic dance album Champion, available nationwide on May 6. The dance/pop release features award-winning and multi-platinum selling artists such as Israel Houghton, Crystal Lewis, Eric Dawkins, Canon and T-Bone.

In addition to collaborating with chart toppers, on her eighth studio album the singer/songwriter co-wrote with mainstream heavy hitters Crystal Nicole (Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Rihanna) and Eric Dawkins (Justin Bieber, Janet Jackson, Christina Aguilera). With the help of Shae's husband and constant production collaborator Jack Shocklee, the 15-track record is sure to appeal to fans of music favorites tobyMac, Group 1 Crew or Capital Kings.

"I am a worshipper at heart and ultimately my desire is for my music to sow seeds into others and have them bear fruit sometime down the road." says the urban artist. "But with this record, we took a different approach. We got so much feedback from the Destiny album, saying how much everyone loved the dance tracks and were looking for more upbeat music, so the fans asked and we listened ... Champion was born!"

Inspired by Hebrews 12:2 to remind believers to keep their eyes firmly planted on Jesus, the one and only Champion of our faith, Shae wanted to encourage listeners to be a Champion for God, for others and themselves. Having personally battled with eating disorders, poverty and a broken family, Shae has overcome her war with low self- esteem and has embraced the person God created her to be and is determined to see others to join her in this triumph.

"My family was so poor growing up, we were always moving around, so I had to start over every time," says Shae, mother of two. "With each adjustment period, I've always felt misunderstood and misjudged, something that has carried on into my adult life and even career. Rising above the past rejection and false perceptions of industry folks and peers, God has always remained persistent and consistent in being faithful and secure in my life. Progress has been slow, but now we are seeing the fruition of my rooted trust in Him.

Now, I'm extremely passionate about helping others see themselves the way God sees them, no matter what season of difficulty they're going through, 'when God is for you, who can be against you?' and that is what I want listeners to walk away with after listening to Champion."

Earlier this year, music lovers were teased with the release of two singles, "Turbo Style" and "Incorruptible." Eager to please and share more music, Shae asked her fans to join her in the album making process and in just two weeks raised more than $40,000 on Kickstarter to help launch Champion.

3 Faith-Related Films in the Top 15 At the Box Office

Paramount's prayers were answered this weekend, as Darren Aronofsky's controversial Biblical epic Noah opened in first place with a mighty $44 million.

Noah's $44 million debut ranks fourth so far this year behind 300: Rise of An Empire ($45 million). It's a significant improvement over star Russell Crowe's Robin Hood—in fact, it's the highest debut ever for Crowe in leading role. Noah has also already earned more than director Aronofsky's first four movies combined.

Months ago, word began circulating that Noah deviated significantly from the Old Testament story upon which it's based. This raised the question of whether or not Christian audiences would show up to see a "Hollywood" version of one of the most well-known stories ever.

One doesn't have to be a regular churchgoer to be aware of and have some interest in the story of Noah, though, and the action and disaster elements of the movie also helped broaden its appeal. The controversy probably didn't hurt, either: controversy creates conversation, which in turn raises awareness.

Noah's audience was split evenly between men and women, and skewed older (74 percent above 25 years of age). IMAX accounted for $6.2 million (14 percent), which suggests that moviegoers were interested in seeing this epic tale on the biggest screen possible.

Noah received a "C" CinemaScore, which is probably a result of Paramount keeping the stranger fantasy elements out of the marketing campaign. This doesn't necessarily mean the movie is going to fall off quickly: The Wolf of Wall Street is a recent example of a controversial movie that bombed with CinemaScore but held well. At this point, it's safe to say that Noah will earn at least $110 million total.

Faith-based movie God's Not Dead despite being in many fewer theaters than other top 10 movies held even with an estimated $9.1 million. Through 10 days, the surprise hit has earned $22 million.

Overseas business has been red hot for Noah and this weekend saw an estimated $33.6M taken in from 22 markets boosting the early cume to $51.1M and the worldwide tally to $95.1M. Russia was the stand-out generating the biggest opening weekend in history in that country for a non-sequel with a stunning $17.2M. More major markets open this coming week including Germany, Brazil, Spain, and the U.K. The worldwide gross will certainly surpass $300M and may even reach beyond $400M with some key European markets opening closer to Easter.

Son of God was at #15 earning another $1,070,000 and is now just shy of $58 million.

Rend Collective Smashes Previous Sales Record As New Album Tops iTunes

Irish worshippers Rend Collective released their fourth acclaimed album, The Art of Celebration on St. Patrick's Day. The album immediately soared to the top of retail charts internationally, becoming their biggest selling debut and spending time at No. 1 as the best-selling album of any genre at iTunes and Amazon.com worldwide.  With 18,433 albums sold, The Art of Celebration also hit No. 13 on the Top 200 Billboard Album charts, while simultaneously landing at No. 28 on the overall albums charts as reported by the UK's Official Chart Company.

Christon Gray Smells Like Roses on R&B Charts

At a time when Christian albums are making tremendous waves on hip-hop and electronic-dance music charts, Christon Gray is making his presence known.

The R&B singer and We Live As Kings rapper’s new album, School of Roses, released Tuesday and debuted at No. 1 on the iTunes R&B charts, above John Legend and Toni Braxton & Babyface.

Perhaps even more impressive, though, is Gray’s ascension to the Top 10 of the iTunes general charts. Currently sitting at No. 8 on the “Top Albums” listing, School of Roses has climbed as high as No. 5.

Gray is in good company in the iTunes Top 10, with Erica Campbell (of Mary Mary) hitting No. 7 with her solo debut, Help, and Kari Jobe’s Deluxe Edition of her latest, Majestic, reaching No. 5.

Social Media Fueled Success of God's Not Dead

TheWrap.com showcases social media's role in fueling the success of God's Not Dead.

The indie that upended the Hollywood establishment to become last weekend's fourth highest grossing film on fewer than 800 theaters deployed one of the most sophisticated social media campaigns this year. It was a grassroots effort that helped the studio target and turn out sold-out crowds.

Credit for its success belongs to Ash Greyson, CEO of social media consultant Ribbow Media, which turned a similar trick with last year's conservative documentary “2016: Obama's America.”

“Social media was critical with this,” Russell Wolfe, CEO of Pure Flix Entertainment, the company behind the $5 million film. “Ash is creative, he's innovative, he came up with fantastic ideas and he was able to give a lot of value for the money.”

Greyson got results by drilling down into data, excavating not only Christians, but likely Christian moviegoers and then peppering them with promotional materials for the film. Greyson's team went deeper, teaming with companies such as Pandora to identify people who listened to Christian music and particularly to the Newsboys, a Christian pop group featured in the film.

“The problem historically has been that people think because someone is a Christian, they're more likely to go to a Christian movie,” Greyson said. “They may be more likely to go to a Christian movie than a horror movie, but they still may never go to the movies.”

When it came to choosing his online advertisements, Greyson told various platforms that he wanted their most disruptive products. Instead of banner ads, he asked for spots that started playing instantly or that stopped and restarted if a person took a break from using a service at mid-point.

It also meant shunning television nearly entirely save for a few spots on the popular Christian broadcast “The 700 Club” and on UP. Greyson believes that television spots are too broad, offering limited bang for the buck.

“We're not buying a demographic, we're buying a committed audience,” he said. “It's all about peeling the onion.”

read full article

Charley Humbard Chats with American Dream on The Impact of Faith on Media

Charley Humbard, founder and CEO of UP, shares with American Dream his journey that led him to establish UP, initially the Gospel Music Channel.

American Dream is broadcast around the world on the American Forces Network.  AFN is the largest radio network in the world, reaching American military and their families in 177 countries and on every US ship at sea.

Candace Cameron Bure Says Her Life Revolves Around Christ, Gets Cheers From Dancing With the Stars Audience

Candace Cameron Bure has continued to make it known that she won't be donning skimpy outfits on Season 18 of Dancing With the Stars. On Monday, the Full House alum received huge support from the audience when she once again spoke about her values and Christian faith during her pre-taped rehearsal footage.

"I'm a Christian. My life revolves around my relationship with Jesus Christ," Bure, 37, said before dancing the rumba with partner Mark Ballas. "So with the overall tone of the dance and the costumes I'm not going to take a backseat. My voice will definitely be heard."

When Bure mentioned her faith, "the entire crowd in the ballroom cheered and clapped really loudly," an onlooker told Us Weekly. She also had several family members attending the live show.

In the ABC clip, Bure and Ballas, 27, also discussed with the show's costume designers what vision they had for their dance. However, when Ballas said he would like to go shirtless, Bure quickly jumped in.

"Not without my permission! No, I have to think about that," she said. "This rumba is not a sexual dance," she added in her one-on-one. After Cameron Bure nixes Ballas' plans to go shirtless, he replies, "You're worse than Bristol Palin. And she was bad."

"This rumba is not a sexual dance," Cameron Bure justifies. "It's a sensual emotional dance. Sensual is more sexy than raunchy sexy, so I think this is going to be a beautiful dance," she said of the rumba, which the duo performed to tune of "Say Something."

After last week's season premiere, Bure opened up to US Magazine about her modest wardrobe choices. "I won't be the sexiest one out there. I am a mom and I want to be a good role model for my children and my husband," she told Us at the time. "I think for each dance we'll wear what reflects the dance but in the most classy way possible."

Candace Cameron Bure hasn't been shy in the past when opening up about her 'submissive' role in her marriage, so how does the former Full House star justify shaking her stuff on a sexy show like Dancing With the Stars?

"You know, I feel like a sexual woman...I've been married for 18 years," the mother of three responded when host Erin Andrews asked the star how she balances her religious beliefs while performing a sexy dance. "I am a sexual woman. But, you know, I want to reserve certain things for my husband. So we did, I think, the best that we could with the rumba that I still felt comfortable doing."

"I'm a Christian. My life revolves around my relationship with Jesus Christ, so with the overall tone of the dance or the costumes, I'm not going to take a backseat. My voice will definitely be heard," the conservative star says in the clip.

Worship Band Tops Electronic Charts!

Hillsong UNITED made history this month as it became the first Christian act to have a project atop Billboard's Dance/Electronic Albums chart.

In the week ending March 9, Nielsen/SoundScan reported the band sold 7,000 of their new White Album (Remix Project), which features EDM reimaginings of previously released Hillsong UNITED tunes. That album also hit No. 4 on Christian Albums, marking the band's ninth entry on that Billboard chart.

In response to the Electronic/Dance charting success, Hillsong UNITED posted on their Facebook page: "Humbled and honoured about this! Hope this reaches people that need to see HIM!"

The band also marked another historic milestone with Billboard recently, as their current runaway hit, "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)" made a leap to the Billboard Hot 100, making it the first No. 1 on the Christian Songs chart to reach the Hot 100. That single is in its 16th week top the Hot Christian Songs chart.

According to Billboard, Hillsong Church's various worship projects have claimed 32 entries on the Christian Albums chart, with 16 of those reaching its top 10. On the Billboard 200, Hillsong has notched 19 hits, going as high as No. 5 in 2013 with Zion by Hillsong UNITED.

Actor James Rebhorn Wrote His Own Obituary

James Rebhorn, the busy character actor who most recently played the father of Claire Danes' troubled CIA officer Carrie Mathison on the Showtime drama Homeland, died of melanoma on Friday.  He was inspired by his final theater performance. The last play that the actor was in included a character who didn't care for the obituaries that usually appeared in newspapers, so she wrote her own. It inspired Rebhorn to work on his own obituary.

During his five-decade career, he was memorable as the district attorney that sent Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer to jail on the Seinfeld finale and as the prosecution's FBI expert automotive witness in the hilarious film My Cousin Vinny. He also had stints as an attorney on the David E. Kelley shows The Practice and Boston Legal and recurring roles on shows like Third Watch, The Book of Daniel, and Law & Order. More recently he appeared in the USA Network hit White Collar as Special Agent Reese Hughes.

His vast film résumé includes Silkwood, Guarding Tess, Independence Day, The Game, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Snow Falling on Cedars, Meet the Parents, Far From Heaven, Cold Mountain, Real Steel and The Odd Life of Timothy Green.

Having been diagnosed with melanoma in 1992, Rebhorn focused on his family rather than his impressive body of work in "His Life, According to Jim," which was posted on the website for the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Hoboken, N.J., where he was a longtime member.

Read the first part of his obituary below:

James Robert Rebhorn was born on Sept. 1, 1948, in Philadelphia, PA. His mother, Ardell Frances Rebhorn, nee Hoch, loved him very much and supported all his dreams. She taught him the value of good manners and courtesy, and that hospitality is no small thing. His father, James Harry Rebhorn, was no less devoted to him. From him, Jim learned that there is no excuse for poor craftsmanship. A job well done rarely takes more or less time than a job poorly done. They gave him his faith and wisely encouraged him to stay in touch with God. He is survived by his sister, Janice Barbara Galbraith, of Myrtle Beach, SC. She was his friend, his confidant, and, more often than either of them would like to admit, his bridge over troubled waters. 

What Low-budget Hit 'God's Not Dead' Says About Christians and Hollywood

It may be “The Year of the Bible” in Hollywood, but American moviegoers are still startling the industry with their robust enthusiasm for faith-filled films targeting the tastes of the faithful.

This weekend, the small-budget “God’s Not Dead” took in more than $8.5 million Friday through Sunday – a surprising fifth-place in this weekend’s box office numbers.

Even more startling, say observers, is the fact that the movie, aimed toward Evangelical Christians, was shown in only 780 theaters – far fewer than those ahead of it, each of which were showing on more than 3,000 screens.

“While this huge opening may be a surprise to the industry, it is not so much to us,” said Mark Borde, co-president of the film’s distributor, said over the weekend. “The in-house tracking, the legitimate one million Facebook fans, the very high trending on Twitter and Fandango, among many other platforms, and the huge positive reaction from the hundreds of screenings over the many past months, gave us hope for a significant opening.”

While not a blockbuster of biblical proportions, the small film’s significant success this weekend comes at a time when Hollywood has been trying to capitalize yet again on the faith-based market, which also made a hit out of “Son of God” earlier this month. The film was condensed from the History Channel’s smash TV hit, “The Bible,” and has taken in nearly $56 million since its release Feb. 28.

But “God’s Not Dead” is a very different kind of film, many observers say. It has a deep resonance in the Evangelical subculture, which often feels mocked and demeaned by the nation’s media and entertainment elites.

“There's a negativity towards Christians in Hollywood,” said Kevin Sorbo, the actor who plays the atheistic philosophy professor. “And a negativity towards people who believe in God.”

“The silent majority is starting to get annoyed with what’s going on,” the Christian actor continued. “I think more people need to start speaking about it instead of just sitting there and taking it.... It’s happening; you’re getting attacked; you need to stand up for yourself and your beliefs.”

Indeed, the film leaps headlong into the culture wars, striking back against famous atheists, referencing the views of Stephen Hawking, Noam Chomsky, and others.

The film also has a number of subplots that reference real-life issues that chafe many Evangelicals. A journalist, described as a radical vegan, conducts ambush interviews with “Duck Dynasty” star Willie Robertson and his wife, who play themselves. It also follows the story of a young Muslim woman, who converts to Christianity and secretly listens to podcasts of the evangelist Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham. Her enraged father violently kicks her out of the house. There is also a subplot about a local pastor struggling with his faith, the vegan journalist who later discovers she has cancer, and the philosophy professor’s mistress, who becomes a Christian.

“I’m so glad a film like ‘God’s Not Dead' is bringing to the public the very real culture clash going on in American public life, especially in education,” e-mails Mitch Land, professor and dean at the School of Communication & the Arts at Regent University, an Evangelical school in Virginia Beach, Va. “We have a right and obligation to express our faith without fear of discrimination or reprisal.”

But responses to the film are as stark as red and blue.

Scott Foundas, chief film critic at Variety, called it a “ham-fisted Christian campus melodrama,” saying its depiction of the college professor was “rather like the Jews in the wartime Nazi propaganda films.”

And so far, some 2,000 ratings on the site imbd.com reveal a divide as wide as it could possibly be. On Monday morning, about half of the arm-chair critics on the site rate the film a "Citizen Kane"-level 10 out of 10 stars (46.3 percent). A full third, however, give it a rock-bottom, "Ishtar"-level 1 star out of 10 (32.8 percent). There's no shades of gray for those who see this film.

Still, others see it in a far less conflict-laden context.

“The success of 'God’s Not Dead' shows at least three things,” says Paul Levinson, media critic and professor of communications and media studies at Fordham University in New York: “Big budgets are not necessary to make popular movies, there is a significant part of the population that cherishes faith-based movies, and students like narratives about arrogant professors who get their due.”

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Flood of Controversy Around Noah Continues to Rise

It is truly a Hollywood epic of biblical proportions, the original disaster story of the man chosen by God to undertake the greatest rescue in history before an apocalyptic flood engulfs the world.

But even before it opens in America this week, Noah, a $130 million blockbuster with Russell Crowe in the lead role, is already awash in a turbulent sea of controversy.

Noah's director Darren Aronofsky, a self-described atheist who made the Oscar-nominated hit The Black Swan, has described the movie as is "the least biblical biblical film ever made" and called Noah "the first environmentalist". According to one early review, the name "God" is not actually spoken at any stage.

Now, amid a wave of criticism from some Christian groups about its loose interpretation of a sacred script, the Paramount studio has taken the unusual step of issuing an "explanatory message" to accompany marketing material.

It notes that while the film is "inspired by the story of Noah... artistic licence has been taken". And it adds, for anyone unclear about the source material: "The biblical story of Noah can be found in the book of Genesis." It has also highlighted praise for the film by some Christian leaders.

After advance test screenings, there were complaints that the film did not adhere strictly enough to the Old Testament verses and portrays Noah as an environmental crusader to deliver a secular ecological doomsday message.

"The insertion of the extremist environmental agenda is a problem," said Jerry Johnson, president of the National Religious Broadcasters group.

Aronofsky's version of Noah is described as a "dark parable about sin, justice and mercy" in which Noah must decide who is good enough to make it on the boat that will save humanity. But Paramount has now issued its note of "explanation" for viewers.

"While artistic license has been taken, we believe that this film is true to the essence, values, and integrity of a story that is a cornerstone of faith for millions of people worldwide," it states.

Crowe has also addressed the criticisms, saying that the film was not intended to be a "Sunday school story" and would challenge viewers' understanding of the Bible.

Brian Godawa, a Hollywood screenwriter and commentator on Christian issues, was one of the first to raise religious alarms after seeing an early version of the script.

In an article titled Darren Aronofsky's Noah: Environmentalist Wacko, he said the director transformed a scriptural story into "environmental paganism" by blaming the Great Flood on man's "disrespect" for the environment.

"Noah is a very short section of the Bible with a lot of gaps, so we definitely had to take some creative expression in it," producer Scott Franklin told Entertainment Weekly. "But I think we stayed very true to the story and didn't really deviate from the Bible, despite the six-armed angels."

In a effort to stymie the criticism, Paramount has just released a new eight-minute promotional video called Noah Featurette running praise from Christian leaders for the film.

"Movies aren't meant to preach. Movie's aren't sermons, and so if they can bring up the topic and start conversations, that's a good movie," said Karen Covell, founder of the Hollywood Prayer Network. "And this one made me ask questions."

Phil Cooke, a Christian media producer and consultant, who has advised the studio on the film, said: "Christians have to stop looking at Hollywood as the enemy, and start reaching out. Missionaries have discovered that you don't change minds by criticism, boycotts or threats. You change minds by developing a relationship and a sense of trust."

Conversations between the studio and the National Religious Broadcasters, whose mission includes advancing biblical truth, won a kinder, gentler reproof. “Because of the quality of the production and acting,” said Johnson, “viewers will enjoy watching main themes from the Noah story depicted in a powerful way on the big screen. However, my intent in reaching out to Paramount with this request was to make sure everyone who sees this impactful film knows this is an imaginative interpretation of Scripture, and not literal.”

Washington Times article

Telegraph article

God's Not Dead Is America's Fifth Most Popular Movie This Week

At just 780 locations, God's Not Dead earned an incredible $8.56 million. That ranks seventh all-time among faith-based movies, and ranks first among those opening in fewer than 1,000 theaters. It's a bit below Courageous ($9.1 million), but above Fireproof ($6.8 million).

The PG-rated film about a college student who is challenged by his professor to prove God's existence was driven by solid advance ticket sales and by church-based outreach. Kevin Sorbo and Dean Cain starred and Duck Dynasty's popular Willie and Korie Robertson made a cameo which was used in the marketing push.

God's Not Dead had a grassroots marketing effort targeted specifically at Christians, who often feel neglected by Hollywood. In addition to the Duck Dynasty stars, popular Christian band Newsboys (who have an album titled "God's Not Dead") were also featured in the film. At least as important was its intriguing story, which centered around a devout Christian college student's philosophical battle with his atheist professor (Kevin Sorbo).

Distributor Freestyle Releasing is looking to expand the movie next weekend. With good word-of-mouth, this could ultimately earn over $30 million total.

Legendary Vocalists John Schlitt of Petra and John Elefante of Kansas Announce Joint Tour

Grammy-winning vocalists John Schlitt and John Elefante have announced a tour in late 2014 that will bring together the two legendary singers for a one-of-a-kind music experience.

The tour, titled Voices of Rock, features Schlitt, lead singer of Petra and former lead singer with Head East, and Elefante, who is known for his work with Kansas, as well as Mastedon.

"John's career and my career cover many facets of music, in both the mainstream and Christian arenas. With the history of Kansas, Mastedon, Petra, Head East and our own solo projects, we can cover many subjects through a Christian perspective," Schlitt says.

"By diving into these histories--both musically and spiritually--our concerts will not only be enjoyable and entertaining, but a valuable teaching tool as well," says Schlitt. "It's always a privilege to share the stage with an A-class artist--and John Elefante certainly is one of them."

Elefante, along with his brother Dino, has worked with Schlitt for several decades, primarily as producer for a number of Petra albums. The Elefantes have produced or been involved with 11 of Petra's 27 album releases, including three Grammy winners and multiple Grammy nominees, two RIAA Certified Gold records, and nine Dove Award-winning projects.The upcoming tour, however, will mark the first time the John Schlitt and John Elefante will share a stage.

"John and I have a long and productive history together with Petra, but now we're teaming up as vocalists on the same stage," Elefante says. "You'll hear our own history of rock, with songs from Kansas, Head East, Petra, and our current solo music. It's a new adventure that I'm really looking forward to."

Killing Jesus Becomes a Miniseries

After two very successful movies, National Geographic‘s Killing movie franchise is adding a miniseries: Killing Jesus. Law & Order veteran Walon Green has been tapped to write and executive produce the project, based on the book Killing Jesus: A History by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard.

O’Reilly’s Killing Jesus, which chronicles the events leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion, was published in September. Like the previous entries in Nat Geo’s Killing franchise, Killing Jesus will combine historical insights with dramatic storytelling.  The mini is expected to begin production this summer for a 2015 premiere globally on National Geographic Channel in 171 countries and 45 languages. Last year’s Killing Kennedy became the most-watched program in Nat Geo’s history and garnered SAG, WGA, DGA and PGA Award nominations.

Religion-themed event programming is red-hot right now on the heels of the blockbuster success of History’s The Bible miniseries. A Bible sequel is in the works at NBC, and WGN America recently greenlighted a Ten Commandments event series. .

ESPN Taps Shonlock's "I Like To Win" For ESPN's Championship Week

ESPN selected Shonlock's "I Like To Win" as one of the official soundtracks for ESPN's Championship Week, which kicks off March 7. "I Like To Win" is a featured track on Shonlock's new CD 'A Night to Remember'.

"ESPN, NCAA Basketball and March Madness are all massive in the world of sports, so to have my song "I Like to Win" picked to be the theme music for this year's Championship Week is amazing," said Shonlock. "God is good!"

'A Night to Remember' spotlights the emotion and power behind the intersection where life and faith meet. With the collaboration between Shonlock and his production partners, Joshua Crosby (Owl City, Matt Kearney) and Solomon "Soul Glow Activatur" Olds (TobyMac, Family Force 5), the 10-song set features guest vocals from Ryan Clark of Demon Hunter, Olds, and longtime friend TobyMac.

Kevin Sorbo: Morals are Falling but Biblical Films are on Rise

Modern society may be in moral decline, but Hollywood seems to be warming up to telling Biblical tales.

"Morals are declining and I don't care if you're religious or not. Morals are declining," Sorbo told "The Steve Malzberg Show" on Newsmax TV. "The country is going under. We're getting worse and worse and everything is okay according to half the population in this country. Not everything is okay."

In his new movie, "God's Not Dead,” Sorbo plays a college philosophy professor who demands that his freshmen students accept that God is dead. If that seems like a far-fetched premise, Sorbo says there have been dozens of court cases that have dealt with such situations.

"The atheists are stirring up. You know, I find it interesting that people who don't believe in something get so angry about it," Sorbo said. "You've got extremes on both sides and I get it and I understand it."

Sorbo said that Hollywood may be coming around to Christian-themed movies, in part because they have proven money potential, and because the quality has improved.

""Blindside' was the kick off point," Sorbo said. "[Hollywood executives] said, "you know what, there's an audience out there we're not serving.'"

Sorbo said that faith and politics don't have to be divisive issues, but he sees hypocrisy on how people approach them.

"I don't vote with anger. I vote with my head and my gut and my heart," Sorbo said. "I look at the person, I look at what they stand for and what they believe in, and I just know, during the last two elections, if you didn't vote for Obama, you're considered a racist and I said "what does racism have to do with it?'

"I have white actor friends who said "I'm going to vote for him because he's black, it'll be cool to have a black president.' I said, "but that's racist.' If I said I'm going for McCain because he's a white guy, you'd call me a racist. But it's such a weird reverse thing. No matter if you say anything negative about anybody nowadays, they want to play the race card and it's insane. I just don't believe in his politics."

Sorbo said that regardless of belief, the ability to turn personal hardships into inspiration has been key to his personal success. At the end of his "Hercules" run Sorbo suffered three strokes, the result of an aneurism, that impacted his balance and vision and took years for him to recover from. He has since become a health and fitness advocate; he is a spokesman for antioxidant measurement product Fluitec and he said that simply stretching before going to sleep at night can have positive long-term health benefits.

"You've got to make tragedies comedies real quick in your life otherwise you're in for a long life," Sorbo said.

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'I was a paid hypocrite': Former Two and a Half Men Child Star Opens Up About His Embrace of Christianity

Nearly a year after leaving the hit CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men, actor Angus T Jones, known as on the show as Jake Harper, Charlie Sheen's nephew, has traded the bright lights of Hollywood sets for church pews.

Jones, 20, who in 2010 became the highest paid child actor in television history at 17 netting $300,000 per episode, left the show last year at the end of the tenth season after he made controversial comments that he had embraced Christianity and found the role he was playing didn't jive well with his religious values. He made negative remarks about the series and said he wanted to exit.

Now sporting a beard and long hair, Jones, who lives in Colorado where he attends the University of Colorado in Boulder, has embraced Christianity, and he visits churches across the country, speaking about God and his faith.

'It was difficult for me to be on the show and be part of something that was making light of topics in our world where there are really problems for a lot of people,' Jones told Houston,Texas, television station KHOU. “I was a paid hypocrite because I wasn’t OK with it and I was still doing it.”

When he left the show, Jones walked away from a popular role that made him a rich teenger. At the time, he was making $350,000 per episode, or $8.4 million a season. His net worth is estimated at $15 million, according to CelebrityNetworth.com.

Jones was in Houston over the weekend where he spoke at World Harvest Outreach, a Seventh-Day Adventist congregation. He read from the Bible and also told parishioners why he embraced Christianity.

“I really want to come into the light because I know that is where the healing is and I’ve seen God do amazing things,” said Jones.

'E!' TV Host Jason Kennedy's Bible Studies Influencing Hollywood 'Nice Guy Movement'?

Jason Kennedy, "E!" TV host, was featured in a new Glamour magazine article that suggests the Christian celeb was "leading the way" in a "nice-guy movement" in Tinseltown, and that his celebrity-oriented Bible study meetings have grown in popularity since they were revealed last year.

Kennedy's Bible study gatherings, noted last year in a Christian Post article, reportedly started out quite small and have been attended by celebs including Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens and Justin Bieber. Currently, according to the Glamour article, attendance at the 32-year-old's Bible study gatherings has grown to hundreds from around town:

Two nights before the Grammys, I step inside a Beverly Hills hotel and file into a ballroom filled with more than 600 of Hollywood's photogenic finest: actors from my favorite TV shows, singers and songwriters of hit pop songs, models, talent agents, and, this being Los Angeles, lots of really hot people who only look famous. They are all here because Jason Kennedy invited them. 

"It's Grammy weekend! Who's here to party?" the 32-year-old co-host of 'E! News' and 'E! News Weekend' bellows into a microphone. Lantern-jawed and Equinoxed, Kennedy gives the crowd a big smile, baring his white-picket-fence teeth. "You know, I was wondering if you guys were going to be at some fancy club tonight," he confesses, looking at his unscuffed Converse Chucks. "Or here with me praising God."

The speaker at that night's gathering was Judah Smith, pastor of The City Church in Seattle and reportedly Justin Bieber's pastor, who is described in the article as "a rising figure in contemporary ministry and a Hollywood regular." Smith reportedly preached about "positioning" in Hollywood for personal gain and how to handle being confronted with pornography.

Kennedy, who is in a relationship with former model and popular blogger Lauren Scruggs, said the Bible studies help him "survive Hollywood" and encourages him to be a better man and boyfriend.

Instead of "bad boys" like actors Jude Law, Hugh Grant or John Mayer, it is celebs like Kennedy, Channing Tatum and Aaron Paul of "Breaking Bad" who apparently are turning the tide in Hollywood, according to Glamour.

As for Justin Bieber, one celebrity who has drawn the "bad boy" label of late due to recent run-ins with the law, Kennedy suggested that the recording artist was not "trying to be outrageous."

Instead, the "E!" host said Beiber was "going through a struggle."

Great White's Mark Kendall: I'm A Christian

American rock band Great White’s co-founder Mark Kendall has shared in his band’s successes and misfortunes in his 30 years as the group’s guitarist.

Kendall was not immune to the temptations of fame, and spent many years in and out of rehab, struggling with alcoholism. But when mishandled pyrotechnics at one of Great White's concerts took the life of 100 fans and a fellow musician, Kendall fell into a deep depression before finally taking control of his life and turning to God.

“I just made a commitment that I was going to get closer to God, turn myself over to Him and really work on myself and not drink,” Kendall told Fox News.

“What I've done is work on really being in touch with my faith,” he explained. “I belong to a church, have a pastor, I've been baptized and I started my own support group by reaching out and making myself available.”

Everything changed for Kendall when his former band mate Jack Russel asked him to perform at a concert in Rhode Island. Although the two were touring separately, Kendall agreed to help his friend out. He didn't realize that that small favor would change his life forever.

“Jack was playing with his own band and the ticket sales weren't doing so well,” explained Kendall. “They were using a sparkler thing in the beginning of the show, and for one thing, Great White, we don’t use that stuff.”

It was “odd,” said Kendall, who was embarrassed to use the pyrotechnics but agreed after he was assured they were safe. Soon after the start of the show, he felt heat on his back, noticed fire, and stepped outside to let security put it out.

What he thought was a small fire ended up a terrible tragedy.

It took Kendall several years after the fire to get sober, but he eventually stood up and said, “Enough is enough. I’m going to change my life.” And he did.

He now uses his notoriety as a way to inspire people who face the same struggles he once suffered from.

“I never wanted to use my band to say, ‘I’m really cool,’” said Kendall who has a new single coming out soon called “Complicated.” “I really like it when music can help somebody who might die otherwise. I don’t care how bad you think you are, you can change it all.”

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DreamWorks Animation Beefs Up Netflix Lineup With ‘Puss In Boots’ And ‘Veggie Tales’

DreamWorks Animation and Netflix are announcing three new original series to debut on the world’s leading Internet television network in late 2014: King Julien, Puss in Boots and VeggieTales in the House (new recipes for faith-based values as Bob and Larry venture off the counter top).

'Duck Dynasty’ Star Sadie Robertson: Fame is Not an Excuse to Lose Your Faith

It's practically a given that kids who get famous at a young age do some pretty crazy things.

But while Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber make headlines for negative behavior, 'Duck Dynasty's' Sadie Robertson is making headlines for a very different reason.

The 16-year-old 'Duck' heiress is famous for putting her faith first and using her fame to help promote family values.

"I think people use fame as an excuse to lose their faith," Roberston told Fox News. "Faith is obviously my number one priority and I think you need to put God at the top of everything you do. When we began 'Duck Dynasty,' we weren't starting it for fame," she said. "We started it to get the message of God out there."

Robertson says her family's show helped to fill a hole in today's television programming by providing wholesome, Christian values for families to enjoy together.

"We could have easily done a reality show like everyone else," she said. "But it's our faith that catches people's eyes because sadly, it's not something we're used to seeing [on TV] these days."

Just because the Robertsons try and put their faith first, doesn't mean the redneck royal family isn't immune to some of the hazards of fame. The family sat down for one of their weekly dinners to set up some ground rules before they signed on for the reality show.

"We had a family dinner before the show started and we talked about if at any time in this journey that God is not first, then we have to put the show away," Robertson recalled.

"If we start to think of ourselves too highly, we remember that we were happy before the show and we will be happy after the show."

They even came up with a secret phrase should any family member start to let the fame get to their heads.

"At the dinner, my Uncle [Si] said, 'Remember the Alamo?" she explained they simply utter the sentence to remind the person to stay grounded.

Robertson has seen success outside of her family's show including co-hosting a popular Youtube series called "The New Different" with "Preacher's Daughters" star Kolby Koloff.

"We started 'The New Different' because we saw all of these people get famous from doing stupid things on Vine and YouTube and we thought if they can put the stupidest things online and have millions of views, why don't we start a Christian-based video series?"

Robertson said it "was a God thing" when fellow reality star Koloff moved to Louisiana and they started producing the weekly series to cover the "daily struggles that teenagers go through" to give them "words of encouragement each week."

"If we're just helping one person, it's worth it," she said of the mean tweets and comments she sometimes receives.

Robertson is thankful for everything her and her family has and says the good definitely outweighs the bad.

"This world can influence you in some bad ways. I know I couldn't do it by myself and my family reminds me why I'm doing this," she said. "We wouldn't have anything that we do have if it weren't for God and we have to give Him the glory for everything."

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'19 Kids and Counting' Child Stars: We Won't Kiss Until We're Married

The teenage girls in the Duggar family aren’t just waiting for marriage to have sex, they’ve vowed not to have their first kisses until their wedding days.

In their new book, “Growing Up Duggar,” Jill, Jessa, Jana and Jinger Duggar, of TLC’s “19 Kids and Counting,” divulge their rules of “courtship,” and what it’s like being from such a large family.

“The message that we are really trying to relay is just to give girls—which is our main audience—just the tips and the things that we’ve learned through life and what our parents have raised us just believing,” Jana told Fox News.

And that means very little physical contact with a significant other until marriage.

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'Preachers' Daughters' Starlet Shares Viral Video Series with 'Duck Dynasty' Star

Two reality show teens, Kolby Koloff and Sadie Robertson, have teamed up to create a web series about their religious beliefs.

The success of the YouTube series, featuring the "Preachers' Daughters" and "Duck Dynasty" starlets, came as a bit of a surprise, Koloff told Fox News.

“We’re very surprised, but gratefully surprised that it’s been going so well,” she said ahead of the season 2 premiere of her series “Preachers' Daughters.”

Her parents also opened up to Fox News about their divorce, which happened about eight years ago. Her father, wrestler Nikita Koloff, said their story is one of “restoration.”

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Jeremy Lin Introduces Lecrae at Winter Jam

Jeremy Lin of the Houston Rockets stopped by to introduce Lecrae at Winter Jam.

Carrie Underwood Joins Thousand Foot Krutch for Surprise Performance at Winter Jam

Carrie Underwood joined Thousand Foot Krutch for a surprise performance of "Let The Sparks Fly" for a capacity crowd at Winter Jam in Tulsa OK.

Watch the 'Noah' Ark Come to Life in New Behind-the-Scenes Video

The creators of the upcoming "Noah" biblical epic starring Russell Crowe have released a video featuring an inside look at how they brought to life what is undeniably the movie's centerpiece — the massive ark that the Old Testament narrative says was built by Noah and his family to protect them and "all living creatures" from a worldwide flood.

"There was a huge issue of what is this ark gonna look like," says Director and co-writer Darren Aronofsky in the video. "The idea was let's go back to what God tells Noah in the Bible."

Aronofsky adds, "It basically describes a box. It doesn't talk about a bow. It doesn't have to navigate. It wasn't like Noah was trying to take the ship anywhere. It basically has to survive the flood."

The director revealed that the ark used on set was built to the actual scope of what is described by God in the Bible to Noah.

According to production designer Mark Friedberg, it took his team more than a year to develop a blueprint for the ark, and it took them only six months to build the massive structure.

Preachers' Daughters Cast Says There's a Godly Message Behind the Issues

"Preachers Daughters," is back for a second season on Lifetime with two new families and more drama that will surely shock many critics with excessive drinking, cursing, smoking, partying and coming to Jesus moments all packed into one hour episodes.

However, the preachers and their daughters featured on the show insist that the series is not coming back for another season in order to shame the church, but to help people.

Tori Elliott, the 22-year-old daughter of Pastor Kenny Elliott of Bethel Seventh-day-Adventist Church in New Orleans, made her "Preachers' Daughters" debut as the former police officer-turned party girl who showed up to church drunk and got evicted from her apartment in the first episode. Tori told Christian Post that she came onto the show to give viewers the perspective of preachers' daughters who are dealing with life not as teenagers, but young adults overcoming the temptations of the world.

Although she struggles with excessive drinking, being a negative role model to her 16-year-old sister and being responsible while on the show, Tori has a message for people who may doubt the show's merit based on the season two premiere.

"If there is anybody out there that is skeptical about the show, I just encourage them to watch it through. Watch me grow spiritually and get more in love with God," she told CP. "It might start off slow but in the end like the prodigal son, God's love overcomes all sins."

Pastor Jeff Cassidy, a new face on the show knows firsthand what rebelling against God looks like. While Pastor Cassidy is devoting himself to full time ministry as a newly appointed associate pastor of Lake Bowen Baptist Church in Boiling Springs, S.C., on the show, he is also a former heavy metal musician with a history of substance abuse. While dealing with his 19-year-old son Zac in rehab, Pastor Cassidy's daughter Megan is describing herself as "the southern belle raisin' hell."

Still, Megan's father insists that people can learn from his less than perfect family.

"The things I want people to see and understand is church is not full of perfect people...And it's staff members are just like anybody else," Pastor Cassidy told CP. "Church is full of hypocrites as people say and that's where hypocrites need to be. They need to be in church learning about Christ and God.. They're normal fathers, they're normal mothers, they're normal teenagers and they're dealing with a world out there today that will eat you up and spit you out."

Victoria Koloff, the preacher and radio show host who appeared last season as a divorced mother of four co-parenting and focusing on raising her now 17-year-old daughter between Kannapolis, N.C., and Nashville, Tenn., said she received hundreds of messages from people thanking her for appearing on the show and helping them change their lives. This season, viewers may witness Kolby attempting to map out her future after high school while disagreeing with her parents and making her own choices much to their disapproval.

Despite the show's dramatic elements, Victoria insists "Preachers' Daughters" is bringing something special to Christians who might be watching less than Godly reality television programming otherwise.

"The Christians are watching trash t.v. and what I like about our show is it might have a sprinkle of drama and controversy in it, but it always has a happy ending. There's something good that's going to come from each of the families," she told CP. "If people hang in there with these families throughout the whole season, they're going to be cheering them on instead of pointing the finger and judging them. And as it unfolds it will make me proud of season two just like I was in season one."

The Afters' “Moments Like This” On NBC for “We Create Moments” Campaign

The Afters have already had a win this year. The band’s song “Moments Like This” was selected by NBC as the feature song for their “We Create Moments” promo campaign. The song aired frequently during NBC’s promo ads around the Winter Olympics last month, and will continue to run alongside other programming in the weeks ahead. Earlier this year, "Moments Like This" was used on American Idol on FOX. Check out the video for NBC's "We Create Moments" campaign.

“Moments Like This” comes off The Afters’ fourth studio album, Life is Beautiful which was released earlier last year. The chart-topping foursome recently celebrated their last single “Every Good Thing” going No. 1 with their current single “Broken Hallelujah” following in its footsteps as it rises on the charts. They are out on the road performing their hit songs with five-time GRAMMY winner Steven Curtis Chapman on his “The Glorious Unfolding Tour.”

Matthew McConaughey Spotted Reading Lee Strobel's 'The Case for Christ'

Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey was reportedly spotted reading Christian author Lee Strobel's The Case for Christ who tweeted Monday: "Here's Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey reading my book Case for Christ while working out."

Strobel linked the message with a photo of McConaughey looking deeply engrossed several pages deep in the book with the title partially hidden. The photo, according to the author, was taken in 2007.

Michael W. Smith Releases First Hymn Project

Just in time for the Easter season, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store announced the release of Hymns, Michael W. Smith's newest album, which will be available on March 24 exclusively at all Cracker Barrel locations and online at crackerbarrel.com & select digital retailers. This is the first time in his legendary career that Smith has recorded an album of traditional hymns, including many that he sang in church when he was young

"I first heard many of these hymns when I attended First Baptist Church in Kenova, West Virginia with my Mom, Dad, and sister Kimberly," said Smith. "The message of the songs combined with the timeless music helped build the foundation of my Christian beliefs. I have always wanted to record an album of hymns, and am thankful that Cracker Barrel Old Country Store wanted to share it with their guests."

The album features timeless Christian classics, with songs ranging in creation date from 1708 ("When I Survey the Wondrous Cross") to 1989 ("Wonderful, Merciful Savior"). The remaining thirteen songs were written between 1840 and 1953.

Producer Offers Different Perspective on Noah Controversy

There has been much controversy surrounding the upcoming film, Noah.  Phil Cooke, producer and media consultant, wades in with a compelling defense and perspective.

Candace Cameron Bure to be on Dancing with the Stars

"Dancing With The Stars" returns for its 18th season and the new crop of celebrity competitors may be the fiercest yet.

Fresh off their gold-medal win at the Sochi Olympics, Meryl Davis and Charlie White headline the star lineup, as well as Drew Carey and swimming legend Diana Nyad.

Former "Full House" actress Candace Cameron Bure, "The Wonder Years" star Danica McKellar and Australian pop singer Cody Simpson are among the other celebs with their eyes set on the mirrorball trophy.

In two "Dancing" firsts, double-amputee snowboarding champ Amy Purdy, who lost both of her legs as a teenager and pushed to become a world-champion adaptive snowboarder, will be the first Paralympian to compete. Sean Avery is the first former hockey player in "Dancing" history.

Non-Stop Tops Son of God at Box Office

Non-Stop and Son of God ruled the box office over Oscar weekend. The Liam Neeson action movie took first place with $28.9 million, while Son of God was an impressive runner-up.

Meanwhile, Disney Animation's Frozen became the 18th movie ever to earn over $1 billion worldwide. More importantly, it's only the fifth movie ever to hit that milestone that's not a sequel or prequel. With an opening in Japan on the way, Frozen will likely end its run in the Top 10 all-time.

Son of God opened in second place with $25.6 million. That debut is ahead of similar Christian movies like Courageous ($9.1 million), The Nativity Story ($7.8 million) and Fireproof ($6.8 million), but falls behind The Passion of the Christ, which earned over $26 million in its first day.

Son of God far exceeded box office expectations and is a result of Mark and Roma's tireless efforts to connect with a group of moviegoers, Christians, that's often neglected by Hollywood.

Son of God's audience was 62 percent female, and 82 percent were 25 years of age of older. They gave the movie an "A-" CinemaScore. Without a precedent for a movie like this (nearly all of Son of God already aired on TV via The History Channel's The Bible mini-series), it's unclear exactly how well Son of God will hold in the coming weeks.

Matthew McConaughey one of few to thank God in Oscar acceptance speech

In a reflection of how our culture has devolved, few actors bothered with a perfunctory thanking of God.  However, there was a notable and surprising exception.

Rather than thanking an assortment of managers, agents, publicists, assistants and lawyers when he won his Best Actor Oscar for his role in "Dallas Buyers Club" on Sunday night, Matthew McConaughey thanked his fellow nominees, cast mates and ... God.

And he was the one of the first of the night to do so.

"First off I want to thank God, because that's who I look up to. He's graced my life with opportunities that I know are not of my hand or any other human hand," the 44-year-old Texas native said. "He has shown me that it's a scientific fact that gratitude reciprocates. In the words of the late (British actor) Charlie Laughton, who said, 'When you got God you got a friend and that friend is you.'"

McConaughey then went on to show his appreciation for his wife, children, mother and late father.

"To my father, I know he's up there right now with a big pot of gumbo, he's got a lemon meringue pie, he's probably up there in his underwear, he's got a cold can of Miller lite and he's dancing right now," he continued. "To my dad, you taught me what it means to be a man, to my mother, who's here tonight, you taught me and my two brothers, demanded, that we respect ourselves. What we in turn learned was, we were then better able to respect others."

Josh Turner Writes Book on Fatherhood

Country singer Josh Turner has been a "Grammy nominee" and "multi-platinum recording artist." Now, he can add "author" to his list of accomplishments.

Turner's first book, Man Stuff: Thoughts on Faith, Family, and Fatherhood, will be published April 29 by Thomas Nelson.

"It's a book full of life lessons, life stories, from my experiences, things I've learned throughout my life, mistakes I've made," says Turner, whose hits include Long Black Train, Your Man and Time Is Love.

Turner says Thomas Nelson approached him about doing a book after People magazine named him the "Hottest Dad in Country Music" in 2011.

"People talk about songwriting being therapy, but, for me, it was great to not have to be hunched over a guitar or be trying to craft a melody along with the words," he says. "I just let the words flow and told stories."

The editing process, on the other hand, "was somewhat of a booger. You have to be really careful how you say things. You want to be able to say things the best you possibly can, to make sure people take the best possible lesson away from the story and not come across as preachy, coarse or harsh."

Duck Dynasty's Jase Robertson penned the book's foreword, writing, "Josh shares from his heart and experiences and is sincerely honest about how God uses us in our strengths, despite our weaknesses."

Turner says he got his advance copy Man Stuff this week. "I looked at my wife, Jennifer, the other night and said, 'Can you believe your husband has a book?' " Turner says. "She was like, 'Yeah, and I think you have more in you.' That made me feel good."