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

Kirk Cameron Excited to Combat 'Hollywood's Moral Filth and Darkness'

Kirk Cameron said in a recent interview that the opportunity to share the Gospel with Hollywood is "exciting."

"No, because my friends aren't in Hollywood," Cameron said in an interview published on June 6 by the Naperville Sun, responding to whether he feels lonely or not. "When I look and see the opportunities I have here in Hollywood to spread some light and some life in a place that is notorious for exporting so much moral filth and darkness, it's exciting."

When asked about the audience for Christian films he replied:

"People came to see it because they are really getting something out of it that they value. Why they don’t make more movies like that, I have no idea. But I’m not going to sit around and wait for them to figure it out. I’m going to make them myself."

Cameron added that he regularly prays not only for his former "Growing Pains" co-stars, but for everyone.  "I pray for everybody that I know. I pray for people that I don't know. I pray not just for my family but for my TV family. Who couldn't use blessings from heaven?" the actor said.

In 2012, Cameron stirred debate when he defended traditional Christian views on homosexuality on CNN's "Piers Morgan Tonight," which provoked the criticism of a number of Hollywood stars.

"Marriage was defined by God a long time ago," Cameron said. "[It's] almost as old as dirt, and it was defined in the garden between Adam and Eve – one man, one woman for life till death do you part. So I would never attempt to try to redefine marriage."

In response, actress Roseanne Barr tweeted: "kirk or kurt or whatever Cameron is an accomplice to murder with his hate speech. so is rick warren. Their peers r killing gays in Uganda."

Other Hollywood stars like Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Craig Ferguson, Debra Messing and Kristin Chenoweth all criticized Cameron, with Alan Thicke, who played Cameron's on-screen father in "Growing Pains," tweeting: "I'm getting [Cameron] some new books. The Old Testament simply can't be expected to explain everything."

Pepsi Presenting Sponsor for Inaugural K-Love Fan Awards

K-LOVE, the leading Christian radio network with a weekly listenership of over 13 million people, is bringing the first ever fan-voted award show in Christian music history to Nashville. The K-LOVE Fan Awards will be held on Saturday, June 1st at 7:30pm at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium.

Starting today through May 31 fans can vote for their favorite nominees at KLOVEFanAwards.com  in categories celebrating artists, athletes, authors and entertainers who, with excellence engage and impact popular culture for Jesus Christ. Leading artist nominees are TobyMac and Newsboys with three nominations each. See below for the complete list of nominees in each category.

Nominees were determined by K-LOVE with consideration given to airplay, spins, impact and overall performance. Winners are solely determined by fan vote online. The winners will be announced at the awards show hosted by the stars from A&E TV's popular show "Duck Dynasty," Phil and Kay Robertson and Jase and Missy Robertson. A&E's top show surpassed "American Idol" ratings last week during the "Duck Dynasty" finale.

Performers already slated are fan favorites TobyMac, MercyMe, Amy Grant, Third Day, Newsboys, Casting Crowns, NEEDTOBREATHE, Steven Curtis Chapman, Matthew West and many more.

In addition to the unprecedented list of performers, sport figures set to attend the special evening include Mike Fisher (Nashville Predators), Barrett Jones (Two-time National Champion from Alabama), Jason Hanson (21-year Detroit Lions kicker), Alfred Morris (Washington Redskins) and Hugh Freeze (Head football coach from the University of Mississippi). Representing the movie impact category will be Kirk Cameron (Monumental, Fireproof), Alex Kendrick (Facing the Giants, Fireproof, Courageous) and David Evans (The Grace Card).

In honor of the awards, Pepsi will be launching their Christian Artist Can Panel series at the weekend's events. The four artists that will be featured include Matt Maher (Dr. Pepper), Francesca Battistelli (Diet Pepsi), Matthew West (Pepsi), and TobyMac (Mountain Dew). Each artist will be featured on three million cans for a total of 12 million cans - 12 million new ways to change lives. On each can a link will be featured to receive a free download from each artist.

In addition to the presenting sponsor, the official charity sponsor has been revealed as World Vision.

Kirk Cameron To Tackle Human Suffering in New Film Set to Release This Fall

Actor and producer Kirk Cameron is collaborating with Liberty University on a film project that is said to answer life's toughest questions about human suffering.

Cameron told The Christian Post in a statement on Wednesday that the film, set to be released this fall, "tackles the faith wrecking question that has turned Christians into atheists: 'Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?'"

In the film, which is based on a true story, Cameron said he takes the audience "on a journey to view a child's funeral from the perspective of Heaven's balcony, gaining a 100,000-foot view of the world."

"This film answers a universal question that must be answered by every thoughtful person – both religious and secular," Cameron explained. "Young and old wrestle with suffering and death, and all are in need of hope, faith and love. So I'm making this movie for adults and teenagers, old and young. I want both my grandparents to be inspired and my children to be captivated by this exciting new film."

He describes the film as "beginning in the garden of Eden, where we witness the creation of Adam, the creation of Eve, and [later] Cain murdering Abel, Noah's flood, the birth of Israel, and Jesus' life, death, resurrection, and the destruction of the Jewish temple in A.D. 70."

Cameron says the project is the most personal film he's ever worked on.

"This film will be beautifully shot, scored, and edited to create a very unique and personal approach to this difficult topic. My desire is to bring hope, inspiration, and life to the faith of people everywhere," he commented.

Read full article

Chad Michael Murray May Be ‘Left Behind’

Chad Michael Murray is in negotiations to join the cast of Left Behind. The former One Tree Hill actor would be playing the role of journalist Cameron “Buck” Williams in the end-of-the-world thriller. Nicolas Cage is also starring in the Left Behind reboot. The film is based on the first of the 16 bestselling faith-based novels written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. Left Behind was first adapted for a series of movies starring Kirk Cameron starting in 2001.

Nicolas Cage Likely to Star in 'Left Behind' Series Remake

Academy Award–winning actor Nicolas Cage is reportedly in talks to star in "Left Behind," a mainstream remake of the Christian-themed movie trilogy about the End Times.

The reboot will mark the first film from Stoney Lake Entertainment, a new production company led by Paul Lalonde, a Canadian/American film producer and writer and co-founder of Cloud Ten Pictures, variety.com reported Friday.

"Left Behind" is the first installment of a 16-book series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins about the adventures of the sinners left on earth after the Rapture. The series, first published 1995-2007, has sold more than 65 million copies around the world.

The series has already been adapted into three films starring Kirk Cameron, who plays the leader of the Tribulation Force against the Global Community and its leader Nicolae Carpathia, the Antichrist. The original movie series was launched in 2001.

The plot focuses on a group of survivors during the first few hours after the Rapture. The budget of the film is in the $15 million range, and its production is likely to begin in early spring for a late next year release.

Variety quoted Lalonde as saying that distributor Samuel Goldwyn Films had given a theatrical guarantee.

Lalonde and his brother, Peter, started up the production company Cloud Ten Pictures as a means of spreading the Gospel message and producing inspirational Christian films that would help to disband the general consensus that Christian movies are low quality," the company's website says.

Read full article

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Candace Cameron Bure on Brother Kirk Cameron: 'We Have a Different Style of Saying Same Things'

Actress Candace Cameron Bure has opened up about her personal beliefs and her relationship with her equally famous, and openly Christian, brother Kirk Cameron. The interview comes at the same time as the release of "The Heart of Christmas" on DVD and a recent "Full House" reunion.

"Acting is my first passion-and my faith is incredibly important, which flows into every aspect of my life, which includes the decisions that I make on acting," Bure told Yahoo. "I want to focus on great family programming and good movies and the charitable organizations that I'm involved with."

When it comes to dealing with her brother, Kirk, an outspoken Christian advocate who has his own series focused exclusively on evangelism, Bure said she and Kirk "have a different style of saying some of those things. But he is much more in the world of ministry and does a lot of conferences…that's really his main focus."

Read full article 

Kirk Cameron Laughs off 80s Sitcom Actors' Slam

Former child star Kirk Cameron stirred controversy in Hollywood when he declared homosexuality to be “unnatural,” “detrimental” and “ultimately destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization” to gossip show host Piers Morgan.

In response to Cameron’s comments, some of his ‘80s and ‘90s sitcom contemporaries banded together to star in a mock PSA video as members of CCOKC: Child Celebrities Opposing Kirk Cameron on the comedy web site “Funny or Die.”

On “Fox & Friends,” Cameron stood by his original comments, calling out Morgan for bringing up the topic of gay marriage in the first place. 

“When you’re sitting across the table from someone who knows what your perspective is on issues–and I’ve been very consistent, I don’t think anything I said surprised anybody as a Bible-believing Christian," he said. "But to then take some answers, reduce an important and personal and sensitive issue to a four-second sound bite and toss it into a community to start a political bonfire and really upset people that you’re saying that you’re looking to protect – I think is disingenuous.”

Read entire article and his reaction to the video 

Does controversy help or harm Kirk Cameron's upcoming 'Monumental' doc?

Former Growing Pains star and born-again Christian Kirk Cameron ignited a controversy Friday when he told CNN’s Piers Morgan he thought homosexuality was “unnatural … destructive to … civilization.” GLAAD immediately responded, calling Cameron “dated” and “out of step.”

Judging by the trailer for his new documentary Monumental: In Search of America’s National Treasure, Cameron won’t back down any time soon. He leads the promo — which you can watch below — by saying, “something is sick in the soul of our country … we’re headed for disaster if we don’t change our course now.” The actor travels the U.S. in a sort of Who Do You Think You Are? for morality. But how will the film perform given Cameron’s recent, potentially alienating, comments?

rest of the article here

Monumental Movie: Kirk Cameron Searches For America’s National Treasure

As opening day approaches for Monumental, actor Kirk Cameron makes startling discoveries while searching for America’s national treasure.

During a recent interview, Cameron shared a glimpse of his inspiration behind Monumental, stating, “It’s hard for me to imagine, but I am now 41. Amazing. It seems like yesterday my poofy mullet and parachute pants were all the rage, and Prince had a #1 hit on the radio. Now I’m married to the most beautiful woman, raising six children, and living the American dream. Our country has changed so much since my days of fighting with Carol and Ben on TV. America has always been known as “the land of the free” and “the home of the brave.” It’s the richest, freest nation the world has ever seen. Everyone wants to live here. But as I look around, I’m left with a sinking feeling that America is losing her way. Big time. The soul of our country is sick, and history shows me we are headed for disaster if we don’t change course now.”

When asked about possible answers to the obvious problems currently facing the United States, Cameron went on to say, “I’ve been looking around for answers, but all I hear is noise. Everyone is pointing fingers at the Left or the Right, blaming Hollywood or Capitol Hill. Time is flying by too quickly for petty arguments. My children’s future won’t wait. I’ve got to do something now.”

“In the film I retrace the footsteps of our Founders from England to America in the hope of discovering our true “national treasure.” I wanted to listen to them, to learn from them. Our forefathers knew we were a forgetful people, that someday we would lose our way as a nation. So they left us “maps” that would guide us back to the source of America’s success. What I discovered is amazing!” stated Cameron.

Monumental take viewers through historic details of the United States that few even realize happened.
The film delivers hard hitting facts about America and discloses the whys and hows of the founders who first landed on our shores with the hope of building a great country. When asked what viewers will take away from this riveting story, Cameron passionately stated, “This is one of the most important journeys of my life. America is worth fighting for, and so are our families. We can still be a “city upon a hill,” but we need to work together. With God’s help, we can turn this thing around. It’s been said, “Footprints in history are not made sitting down,” and I couldn’t agree more. I hope that our children will mark this moment as the turning point when we stood up, came together, and reclaimed the true national treasure of America.”

For details about the Monumental movie, to buy tickets and a view the list of cities where the film will debut, visitors can visit http://monumentalmovie.com/

Kirk Cameron to Release a 'Monumental' New Film

It's been four years since Kirk Cameron appeared in "Fireproof," but he hasn't been resting. Working on his latest film "Monumental," Cameron is looking to make an even bigger impact this time around, tackling family, politics, and spirituality in America.

"Monumental: In Search of America's National Treasure" is Cameron's latest effort. The film captures his personal journey through American and European history, visiting historical sites to capture what has made America the "freest, securest, prosperous, and healthy" nation in the world.

Full article here.

"The Grace Card" Opens in Top 20

The Grace Card is a dramatic film that intends to illustrate the everyday opportunities that people have have to rebuild relationships and heal deep wounds by extending and receiving God’s grace. The film stars Louis Gossett, Jr. and Michael Joiner. It was released on February 25, 2011 to 363 theaters, grossing $1,010,299 on opening weekend - good enough to land in the 16th position.

"The Grace Card" was conceived by its first-time director, Dr. David Evans, a Memphis optometrist making the leap into filmmaking with the support of his congregation, the Calvary Church of the Nazarene in Cordova TN, the film's "sponsoring church."

The success of "Fireproof" with Kirk Cameron, a low-budget 2008 movie produced by Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga., that earned $33 million at the box office, provided inspiration for Evans and his supporters.

A self-described "modern evangelical" and "20-year pro" in Hollywood who co-wrote Clint Eastwood's "Space Cowboys," among other films, screenwriter and producer Howie Klausner, rewrote Evans' original script and joined the production after deciding he wanted to help Christian films "grow up." He describes "The Grace Card" as a cop movie with a spiritual twist.

Academy Award winning actor Louis Gossett Jr., who earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1983 for his role as a tough Marine sergeant in "An Officer and a Gentleman," said he was attracted to "The Grace Card" because he's interested in "nourishing stories" that complement his faith in God and his work as the founder of The Eracism Foundation.

Fireproof

We were able to attend a pre-screening of Fireproof, the new movie by the makers of Facing the Giants, last night at the Fox Theatre. It's an inspiring and convicting film and effectively uses music from Third Day, Casting Crowns, Warren Barfield and John Waller.

As an added bonus, John Waller performed his song from the film and Kirk Cameron (in a role of a lifetime!) and the filmmakers spoke.