Sean Hannity has delved into filmmaking by partnering with Kevin Sorbo on a movie in which the star will play a world-renowned atheist whose beliefs are dramatically challenged.
For Sorbo, this is the second time he is playing a character in a story with atheism as the central plot point, after having starred in "God's Not Dead," the surprise hit that made $61 million domestically on a $2 million production budget and spurred a sequel, "God's Not Dead 2," which made $21 million.
The movie, "Let There Be Light," also stars Sorbo's wife, Sam, and was made on a $3 million production budget. Sorbo is still working on a distribution deal but he expects the film to open in November 2017.
Sorbo has been making Christian-themed movies for several years now, a choice that others say can limit an actor's opportunities in Hollywood.
As for Hannity, he is making his first foray into filmmaking as executive producer, but it won't be his last, as he is pursuing other projects.
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Showing posts with label God Not Dead. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God Not Dead. Show all posts
Thursday, December 15, 2016
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
God's Not Dead 2 Opens in Fourth Place at the Box Office While Miracles From Heaven Remains in Fifth
The sequel God's Not Dead 2 opened in fourth place with below-expectations results grossing $7.6M from 2,419 locations for a $3,152 average. Both the gross and average were below what its predecessor generated two years ago in March 2014. The first God's Not Dead opened with $9.2M from 1/3 of the theaters for a potent $11,852 average.
Another faith-based film sat in the top five with Miracles from Heaven grossing $7.3M in its third week. It has earned an impressive $46.5M to date which is more than three times the film's production cost.
Another faith-based film sat in the top five with Miracles from Heaven grossing $7.3M in its third week. It has earned an impressive $46.5M to date which is more than three times the film's production cost.
Monday, May 11, 2015
Newsboys Earn First Platinum Single with God's Not Dead
Newsboys’ anthem, “God’s Not Dead (Like A Lion),” has been certified Platinum by the RIAA. Signifying single sales in excess of 1 million units, the award marks a career milestone for the Grammy-nominated group and is one of the first Platinum single certifications in Christian music this year.
Written by Daniel Bashta, “God’s Not Dead” helped inspire the blockbuster Pure Flix film of the same name. Both the God’s Not Dead album and single earned RIAA Gold certifications last year.
Newsboys have sold more than 8 million units, amassing eight Gold certifications, 33 #1 radio hits, four Grammy nominations.
Written by Daniel Bashta, “God’s Not Dead” helped inspire the blockbuster Pure Flix film of the same name. Both the God’s Not Dead album and single earned RIAA Gold certifications last year.
Newsboys have sold more than 8 million units, amassing eight Gold certifications, 33 #1 radio hits, four Grammy nominations.
Friday, April 10, 2015
Can Beyond the Mask Uncover the Secret of God's Not Dead?
After a successful campaign in theaters across the U.S., producers have just pacted with Freestyle Releasing to distribute Beyond The Mask on June 5 for traditional, weeklong runs. The film stars John Rhys-Davies (Killing Jesus, The Lord Of The Rings). The same co-writer of the faith-based phenoms Fireproof and Courageous, Stephen Kendrick, also co-wrote this film.
Freestyle Releasing also distributed God’s Not Dead on behalf of Pure Flix last March to great success. On a $2M budget, they earned a hefty $60.7M gross.
The agreement with Freestyle comes after producers have already pre-sold more than $470K before bowing in theaters this past Monday. Each showing of the $4M-budgeted film played for one night only in each theater. So far, they have played on 365 screens in all 50 states. On Monday, when Beyond The Mask opened on 181 theaters, it had taken in $242K, which translated into a per screen average of $1,300.
The film was co-written by Kendrick (Courageous, Fireproof) and Paul McCusker. It co-stars Kara Kilmer (Chicago Fire) and Andrew Cheney (Seasons Of Grey).
The production, marketing and distribution of Beyond The Mask has been completely grassroots. They started off with a Kickstarter campaign in 2011, raised the money, produced the picture and then worked out a deal with Gathr to help distribute the film. They marketed through churches, social media, home-schooling communities, and with volunteers from across the country.
And this one has a bit of a twist in that it is a period piece. Beyond The Mask follows a leading mercenary for the British East India Company who was double-crossed and is on the run in the American colonies. Working to redeem his name and win back the affections of the woman with whom he’s never been fully truthful, he hides behind a new mask in hopes of thwarting his former employer. As his past life closes in on him, he must somehow gain the trust and the help of his beloved Charlotte — as well as Ben Franklin — while he races against time to defuse a plot of historical proportions. It is being marketed as “a faith-based adventure celebrating grace, liberty and the true freedom that can only be found in Christ.”
“What would I do if we had a huge success? The first thing that comes to mind is creating more films to spread the hope and word of the Gospel and bring stories to families who can enjoy watching them together,” producer Aaron Burns said.
Freestyle Releasing also distributed God’s Not Dead on behalf of Pure Flix last March to great success. On a $2M budget, they earned a hefty $60.7M gross.
The agreement with Freestyle comes after producers have already pre-sold more than $470K before bowing in theaters this past Monday. Each showing of the $4M-budgeted film played for one night only in each theater. So far, they have played on 365 screens in all 50 states. On Monday, when Beyond The Mask opened on 181 theaters, it had taken in $242K, which translated into a per screen average of $1,300.
The film was co-written by Kendrick (Courageous, Fireproof) and Paul McCusker. It co-stars Kara Kilmer (Chicago Fire) and Andrew Cheney (Seasons Of Grey).
The production, marketing and distribution of Beyond The Mask has been completely grassroots. They started off with a Kickstarter campaign in 2011, raised the money, produced the picture and then worked out a deal with Gathr to help distribute the film. They marketed through churches, social media, home-schooling communities, and with volunteers from across the country.
And this one has a bit of a twist in that it is a period piece. Beyond The Mask follows a leading mercenary for the British East India Company who was double-crossed and is on the run in the American colonies. Working to redeem his name and win back the affections of the woman with whom he’s never been fully truthful, he hides behind a new mask in hopes of thwarting his former employer. As his past life closes in on him, he must somehow gain the trust and the help of his beloved Charlotte — as well as Ben Franklin — while he races against time to defuse a plot of historical proportions. It is being marketed as “a faith-based adventure celebrating grace, liberty and the true freedom that can only be found in Christ.”
“What would I do if we had a huge success? The first thing that comes to mind is creating more films to spread the hope and word of the Gospel and bring stories to families who can enjoy watching them together,” producer Aaron Burns said.
Friday, February 13, 2015
'Unbroken', 'Heaven Is for Real,' 'God's Not Dead' and UP Win Big at Faith-Friendly Awards
Heaven Is for Real and Unbroken took top prizes at the Faith & Values Awards which rewards programming based not only on their entertainment and artistic quality but also their uplifting messaging and Bible-honoring content.
Unbroken, a film about World War II prisoner Louis Zamperini that was directed by Angelina Jolie, was deemed the best film of 2014 for mature audiences while Heaven Is for Real was named the best movie for families.
The 23rd annual Movieguide Faith & Values Awards Gala was hosted by Bill Engvall and drew executives from most major — and lots of minor — studios. The event will be broadcast on ReelzChannel on Feb. 21 and again two days later.
The most notable snubs of the evening were the total absence of Noah and Exodus: Gods and Kings, two movies based on the Bible that were controversial in some circles for being insufficiently faithful to the source material.
Unlike the Oscars and most similar affairs, the Faith & Values Awards chooses not only a winner in its top two categories but also nine runners-up that receive trophies.
In the 'family' category, the nine additional movies were: Son of God, God's Not Dead, Big Hero 6, Mr. Peabody & Sherman, Dolphin Tale 2, Penguins of Madagascar, Bears, Muppets Most Wanted and Planes: Fire and Rescue.
In the 'mature' category, the nine other movies were: Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Giver, The Good Lie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies; The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Divergent and The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
Also unlike other awards shows, the Faith & Values Awards doles out a few cash prizes, supported by a grant from the Templeton Foundation. This year, its $100,000 Epiphany Prize for movies went to God's Not Dead and its $100,000 Epiphany Prize for television went to UP's Love Finds You in Sugarcreek.
There's also a Faith & Freedom Award for movies and television, with the former going to The Giver and the latter to The Gabby Douglas Story.
Presenters included actor Corbin Bernsen, Duck Dynasty personalities Sadie and Korie Robertson and, as has been the case for a few years, several Disney Channel stars: Madison Pettis (Jake and the Never Land Pirates), Shane Harper (Good Luck Charlie); Olivia Holt (Kickin' It), Austin North (I Didn't Do it) and Karan Brar (Jessie).
Stevie Wonder appeared with several other artists in a musical tribute to gospel singer Andrae Crouch, who died in January.
Read full article
Unbroken, a film about World War II prisoner Louis Zamperini that was directed by Angelina Jolie, was deemed the best film of 2014 for mature audiences while Heaven Is for Real was named the best movie for families.
The most notable snubs of the evening were the total absence of Noah and Exodus: Gods and Kings, two movies based on the Bible that were controversial in some circles for being insufficiently faithful to the source material.
Unlike the Oscars and most similar affairs, the Faith & Values Awards chooses not only a winner in its top two categories but also nine runners-up that receive trophies.
In the 'family' category, the nine additional movies were: Son of God, God's Not Dead, Big Hero 6, Mr. Peabody & Sherman, Dolphin Tale 2, Penguins of Madagascar, Bears, Muppets Most Wanted and Planes: Fire and Rescue.
In the 'mature' category, the nine other movies were: Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Giver, The Good Lie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies; The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Divergent and The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
Also unlike other awards shows, the Faith & Values Awards doles out a few cash prizes, supported by a grant from the Templeton Foundation. This year, its $100,000 Epiphany Prize for movies went to God's Not Dead and its $100,000 Epiphany Prize for television went to UP's Love Finds You in Sugarcreek.
Presenters included actor Corbin Bernsen, Duck Dynasty personalities Sadie and Korie Robertson and, as has been the case for a few years, several Disney Channel stars: Madison Pettis (Jake and the Never Land Pirates), Shane Harper (Good Luck Charlie); Olivia Holt (Kickin' It), Austin North (I Didn't Do it) and Karan Brar (Jessie).
Stevie Wonder appeared with several other artists in a musical tribute to gospel singer Andrae Crouch, who died in January.
Read full article
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Controversy Brews Around A Co-Founder of the Newsboys
A co-founder of one of the most popular bands in Christian music has revealed that he is now an atheist.
George Perdikis, one of the founding members of the Newsboys penned a piece on the Friendly Atheist blog last week titled, “I Co-Founded One of the Most Popular Christian Rock Bands Ever… and I’m Now An Atheist.”
But admitting to nontheistic beliefs isn't the only thing that Perdikis, who helped launch the band in Queensland, Australia, back in 1985, wrote that has captured some attention in recent days. He also took aim at the Newsboys’ recent involvement in “God’s Not Dead,” a movie named after one of the band’s popular songs, seemingly accusing the group of not being as pure as its image portrays.
“Recently, the Newsboys were featured in the movie God’s Not Dead. The movie demonstrated the pervasive attitude of Christians,” he wrote. “They demonized everyone while giving a pass to their own particular brand of Christianity, making themselves look like fluffy white angels with perfect, synchronized lives.”
Perdikis detailed his journey after exiting the band in 1990 as well, which included marrying, having two kids — and leaving faith behind.
“As I carved out a life for myself away from the church, I began my own voyage of inquiry into what I believed. My perceptions started to transform when I became interested in cosmology in 1992,” he wrote. “I soon found myself fascinated by the works of Carl Sagan, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Lawrence Krauss, Brian Cox, and Richard Dawkins. I learned so much and was blown away by all the amazing scientific discoveries and facts.”
After his marriage ended in 2003, Perdikis said that he began examining “human psychology” and subsequently renounced Christianity in 2007, officially declaring that he no longer believed in God.
Perdikis also shared his upbringing, which included a brief stint at a Christian high school, where he met Peter Furler, who would later join him in forming the band.
“The choice to become a ‘Christian Rock Band’ was heavily influenced by Peter’s parents, Bill and Rosalie Furler,” he wrote. “As fundamentalist Christians, the only acceptable form of music was the kind that worshipped God. Bill and Rosalie were like second parents to me and, for that reason, I never questioned their advice.”
That said, he admitted to never really being comfortable with “the strict rules imposed by Christianity,” writing that he merely wanted to play rock music and was turned off by the religious standards that he felt were imposed upon him. In the end, he left the band after co-writing the first two albums, he said.
Some, like Christian commentator Dr. Michael Brown, have reacted to the revelation by calling for Christians to “pray for … restoration” for Perdikis, with the band’s co-manager, David Wagner, declining to comment on the blog post, telling the Huffington Post that Perdikis is ”a former member who we haven’t had any interaction or heard from in more than 20 years.”
Despite remaining wildly popular, none of the original members of Newsboys are still part of the group, with the last remaining original member exiting in 2009.
As for Perdikis, he’s been gone so long his name isn't even mentioned in a Billboard.com band biography, as the Huffington Post reported.
Read full article.
George Perdikis, one of the founding members of the Newsboys penned a piece on the Friendly Atheist blog last week titled, “I Co-Founded One of the Most Popular Christian Rock Bands Ever… and I’m Now An Atheist.”
But admitting to nontheistic beliefs isn't the only thing that Perdikis, who helped launch the band in Queensland, Australia, back in 1985, wrote that has captured some attention in recent days. He also took aim at the Newsboys’ recent involvement in “God’s Not Dead,” a movie named after one of the band’s popular songs, seemingly accusing the group of not being as pure as its image portrays.
“Recently, the Newsboys were featured in the movie God’s Not Dead. The movie demonstrated the pervasive attitude of Christians,” he wrote. “They demonized everyone while giving a pass to their own particular brand of Christianity, making themselves look like fluffy white angels with perfect, synchronized lives.”
Perdikis detailed his journey after exiting the band in 1990 as well, which included marrying, having two kids — and leaving faith behind.
“As I carved out a life for myself away from the church, I began my own voyage of inquiry into what I believed. My perceptions started to transform when I became interested in cosmology in 1992,” he wrote. “I soon found myself fascinated by the works of Carl Sagan, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Lawrence Krauss, Brian Cox, and Richard Dawkins. I learned so much and was blown away by all the amazing scientific discoveries and facts.”
After his marriage ended in 2003, Perdikis said that he began examining “human psychology” and subsequently renounced Christianity in 2007, officially declaring that he no longer believed in God.
Perdikis also shared his upbringing, which included a brief stint at a Christian high school, where he met Peter Furler, who would later join him in forming the band.
“The choice to become a ‘Christian Rock Band’ was heavily influenced by Peter’s parents, Bill and Rosalie Furler,” he wrote. “As fundamentalist Christians, the only acceptable form of music was the kind that worshipped God. Bill and Rosalie were like second parents to me and, for that reason, I never questioned their advice.”
That said, he admitted to never really being comfortable with “the strict rules imposed by Christianity,” writing that he merely wanted to play rock music and was turned off by the religious standards that he felt were imposed upon him. In the end, he left the band after co-writing the first two albums, he said.
Some, like Christian commentator Dr. Michael Brown, have reacted to the revelation by calling for Christians to “pray for … restoration” for Perdikis, with the band’s co-manager, David Wagner, declining to comment on the blog post, telling the Huffington Post that Perdikis is ”a former member who we haven’t had any interaction or heard from in more than 20 years.”
Despite remaining wildly popular, none of the original members of Newsboys are still part of the group, with the last remaining original member exiting in 2009.
As for Perdikis, he’s been gone so long his name isn't even mentioned in a Billboard.com band biography, as the Huffington Post reported.
Read full article.
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Can Maker of God's Not Dead Recreate Success?
Do You Believe? arrives in theatres March 20 from Pure Flix, the studio behind last year’s big-screen hit, God’s Not Dead. The drama features an ensemble cast of Oscar winner Mira Sorvino, Golden Globe award winning actress Cybill Shepherd, Lord of the Ring's Sean Astin, 70s' icon Lee Majors, Alexa PenaVega (Spy Kids), sitcom staple Ted McGinley, Brian Bosworth and Delroy Lindo.
“Do You Believe?” tells the story of diverse lives that intersect on the streets of Chicago – rich lives, poor lives, and desperate lives. A dozen different souls—all moving in different directions, all longing for something more. As their lives unexpectedly intersect, they each discover the power in the Cross of Christ … even if they don’t believe in it. When a local pastor (McGinley) is shaken to the core by the visible faith of an old street-corner preacher (Lindo), he is reminded that authentic belief always requires action. His response ignites a faith-fueled journey that powerfully impacts everyone and touches their lives in ways that only God could orchestrate. More than a movie, it is the question we all must answer (confront) in our lives: “Do You Believe?”
Accompanying the feature film will be the soundtrack of the same name that features the hit single, “We Believe”, by the award winning contemporary Christian group, The Newsboys.
Michael Scott, producer, God's Not Dead and partner, Pure Flix credits some of the success to Winter Jam. "There's no question the momentum we generated from our sponsorship at Winter Jam created a massive awareness for our movie.”
This year Winter Jam is also spotlighting NBC’s upcoming "A.D. The Bible Continues" from the producing team of Roma Downey and Mark Burnett. Downey and Burnett will make appearances at multiple tour dates, including the Winter Jam Dome Spectacular in Atlanta (Burnett only).
Continuing where History Channel’s hit mini-series "The Bible" left off, “A.D. The Bible Continues" starts with the Crucifixion and the Resurrection, telling its story through the eyes of the Apostles, Pilate, Caiaphas, the Jewish Zealots and the Herod family. With the Book of Acts and Paul’s letters as its foundation, the series chronicles what would become the most powerful global movement in history—the epic rise of the early Church. The 12-week Television event premieres Easter Sunday, April 5th on NBC.
The Winter Jam 2015 Tour Spectacular kicked-off January 2 in Charleston, West Virginia, and continues through March. Featuring headliners Skillet, along with Jeremy Camp, Francesca Battistelli, Building 429, NewSong, for King & Country and Family Force 5 .
“Do You Believe?” tells the story of diverse lives that intersect on the streets of Chicago – rich lives, poor lives, and desperate lives. A dozen different souls—all moving in different directions, all longing for something more. As their lives unexpectedly intersect, they each discover the power in the Cross of Christ … even if they don’t believe in it. When a local pastor (McGinley) is shaken to the core by the visible faith of an old street-corner preacher (Lindo), he is reminded that authentic belief always requires action. His response ignites a faith-fueled journey that powerfully impacts everyone and touches their lives in ways that only God could orchestrate. More than a movie, it is the question we all must answer (confront) in our lives: “Do You Believe?”
Accompanying the feature film will be the soundtrack of the same name that features the hit single, “We Believe”, by the award winning contemporary Christian group, The Newsboys.
Michael Scott, producer, God's Not Dead and partner, Pure Flix credits some of the success to Winter Jam. "There's no question the momentum we generated from our sponsorship at Winter Jam created a massive awareness for our movie.”
This year Winter Jam is also spotlighting NBC’s upcoming "A.D. The Bible Continues" from the producing team of Roma Downey and Mark Burnett. Downey and Burnett will make appearances at multiple tour dates, including the Winter Jam Dome Spectacular in Atlanta (Burnett only).
Continuing where History Channel’s hit mini-series "The Bible" left off, “A.D. The Bible Continues" starts with the Crucifixion and the Resurrection, telling its story through the eyes of the Apostles, Pilate, Caiaphas, the Jewish Zealots and the Herod family. With the Book of Acts and Paul’s letters as its foundation, the series chronicles what would become the most powerful global movement in history—the epic rise of the early Church. The 12-week Television event premieres Easter Sunday, April 5th on NBC.
The Winter Jam 2015 Tour Spectacular kicked-off January 2 in Charleston, West Virginia, and continues through March. Featuring headliners Skillet, along with Jeremy Camp, Francesca Battistelli, Building 429, NewSong, for King & Country and Family Force 5 .
Friday, June 27, 2014
Clint Eastwood's Son To Star in New Christian Film 'The Perfect Wave'
Scott Eastwood, the son of famed Hollywood actor and director Clint Eastwood, is set to star in a new Christian film "The Perfect Wave," set for a July 11 release in select theaters.
Director Bruce Macdonald has described the movie as "a 'love story with four pillars:' a mother's love, a young man's love for surfing, first love, and most importantly, God's love."
He added, "This film shares the amazing story of God's plan for Ian's life and reminds viewers that no matter how far you run, you can never outrun God's love."
The plot follows Ian McCormack, who grew up surfing the waters of New Zealand, and journeys looking for adventure to challenging destinations throughout Australia, Southeast Asia and Africa. During one evening swim, he is stung multiple times by the deadly box jellyfish and pronounced dead shortly after his arrival at the hospital. Ian "miraculously awakens" following a divine post-mortem encounter, however, and is transformed with a new understanding of life.
Eastwood is a rising star in Hollywood and has already played roles in critically acclaimed films such as "Gran Torino" and "Flags of Our Fathers," and has been cast as the lead of the film adaptation of Nicholas Sparks best-selling novel The Longest Ride for summer 2015.
"The Perfect Wave" also stars Rachel Hendrix ("October Baby") and Cheryl Ladd ("Charlie's Angels").
Christian and faith-based films have performed well at the box office this year, with Darren Aronofsky's "Noah" taking in over $350 million worldwide, while "God's Not Dead," "Heaven Is for Real" and the Roma Downey and Mark Burnett-produced "Son of God" all staying in the top 10 at the box office for several weeks.
Director Bruce Macdonald has described the movie as "a 'love story with four pillars:' a mother's love, a young man's love for surfing, first love, and most importantly, God's love."
He added, "This film shares the amazing story of God's plan for Ian's life and reminds viewers that no matter how far you run, you can never outrun God's love."
The plot follows Ian McCormack, who grew up surfing the waters of New Zealand, and journeys looking for adventure to challenging destinations throughout Australia, Southeast Asia and Africa. During one evening swim, he is stung multiple times by the deadly box jellyfish and pronounced dead shortly after his arrival at the hospital. Ian "miraculously awakens" following a divine post-mortem encounter, however, and is transformed with a new understanding of life.
Eastwood is a rising star in Hollywood and has already played roles in critically acclaimed films such as "Gran Torino" and "Flags of Our Fathers," and has been cast as the lead of the film adaptation of Nicholas Sparks best-selling novel The Longest Ride for summer 2015.
"The Perfect Wave" also stars Rachel Hendrix ("October Baby") and Cheryl Ladd ("Charlie's Angels").
Christian and faith-based films have performed well at the box office this year, with Darren Aronofsky's "Noah" taking in over $350 million worldwide, while "God's Not Dead," "Heaven Is for Real" and the Roma Downey and Mark Burnett-produced "Son of God" all staying in the top 10 at the box office for several weeks.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Was This The Last Weekend A Faith Based Movie Will Be in the Top 10?
A 10th place finish by Heaven Is for Real over the four-day weekend kept Memorial Day weekend from being the first without a faith-based movie in the top 10 since February 21-23, the week before Son of God debuted in theaters.
Based on the bestselling book, Heaven Is for Real earned $2 million in its sixth week open. With a budget of $12 million, the film has thus far generated nearly $86 million.
X-Men: Days of Future Past won the extended weekend with $91.4 million.
Moms' Night Out which was heavily marketed to family audiences, fell from 10th to 13th over the weekend. The film made roughly $700,000, bringing its total haul to $8.7 million. The comedy, starring Patricia Heaton, cost $5 million to make.
March release God's Not Dead dropped out of the top 30 this week and Box Office Mojo contained no figures for the movie's financial performance. Posts on the movie' Facebook page informed viewers that Memorial Day weekend would likely be their last chance to catch the movie in theaters.
The movie is the seventh highest grossing Christian film and brought in nearly $60 million over its nine week run. The low-budget film, which cost $2 million to make, trails Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ, three Chronicles of Narnia films, and 2014 hits Heaven Is for Real and Son of God.
Heaven Is for Real is the final well-known faith-based film in theaters until Exodus: Gods and Kings premieres in the U.S. on December 14. Christian Bale will star as Moses, Aaron Paul as Joshua, Joel Edgerton as Moses' step-brother and Pharaoh Ramses, Signourney Weaver as Tuya, Moses' Egyptian mother, and John Turturro as Seti, Moses' Egyptian foster father.
A film about the life of Mary is also scheduled for later this year.
Based on the bestselling book, Heaven Is for Real earned $2 million in its sixth week open. With a budget of $12 million, the film has thus far generated nearly $86 million.
X-Men: Days of Future Past won the extended weekend with $91.4 million.
Moms' Night Out which was heavily marketed to family audiences, fell from 10th to 13th over the weekend. The film made roughly $700,000, bringing its total haul to $8.7 million. The comedy, starring Patricia Heaton, cost $5 million to make.
March release God's Not Dead dropped out of the top 30 this week and Box Office Mojo contained no figures for the movie's financial performance. Posts on the movie' Facebook page informed viewers that Memorial Day weekend would likely be their last chance to catch the movie in theaters.
The movie is the seventh highest grossing Christian film and brought in nearly $60 million over its nine week run. The low-budget film, which cost $2 million to make, trails Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ, three Chronicles of Narnia films, and 2014 hits Heaven Is for Real and Son of God.
Heaven Is for Real is the final well-known faith-based film in theaters until Exodus: Gods and Kings premieres in the U.S. on December 14. Christian Bale will star as Moses, Aaron Paul as Joshua, Joel Edgerton as Moses' step-brother and Pharaoh Ramses, Signourney Weaver as Tuya, Moses' Egyptian mother, and John Turturro as Seti, Moses' Egyptian foster father.
A film about the life of Mary is also scheduled for later this year.
Monday, May 5, 2014
Heaven Is For Real #3 at Box Office and Four Faith-Related Movies Sit in Top 20 for the Year
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was amazing in its opening weekend grossing $92 million.
Meanwhile, Heaven Is for Real, which finished third, beat expectations that had originally predicted the movie might make $40 million, upping its domestic total to nearly $66 million. Starring Greg Kinnear, it has passed Roma Downey and Mark Burnett's film by over $5 million.
Low-budget film God's Not Dead has continued to generate a steady profit following its March 21 release. The movie, which features Kevin Sorbo and Shawn Harper, has finished in the top 10 every weekend with the exception of the last.
For the second weekend in a row, it also finished higher than Darren Aronofsky and Russell Crowe's Noah. Domestically, God's Not Dead has made $55.56 million total.
Five months into 2014, the four faith-related movies sit in the top 20 of top grossing movies of the year with Noah in eighth, Heaven Is for Real in 12th, and Son of God in 16th respectively.
Meanwhile, Heaven Is for Real, which finished third, beat expectations that had originally predicted the movie might make $40 million, upping its domestic total to nearly $66 million. Starring Greg Kinnear, it has passed Roma Downey and Mark Burnett's film by over $5 million.
Low-budget film God's Not Dead has continued to generate a steady profit following its March 21 release. The movie, which features Kevin Sorbo and Shawn Harper, has finished in the top 10 every weekend with the exception of the last.
For the second weekend in a row, it also finished higher than Darren Aronofsky and Russell Crowe's Noah. Domestically, God's Not Dead has made $55.56 million total.
Five months into 2014, the four faith-related movies sit in the top 20 of top grossing movies of the year with Noah in eighth, Heaven Is for Real in 12th, and Son of God in 16th respectively.
Monday, April 28, 2014
God's Not Dead and Heaven Is For Real Quietly Surpass $50 Million at Box Office
After just two weeks, Heaven is For Real has already earned $52 million domestically at the box office while God's Not Dead has earned an equal amount in 6 weeks. Heaven Is For Real was the 3rd most popular film this past week, God's Not Dead was #11 and Noah, approaching $100 million was #14.
Monday, April 21, 2014
'Heaven Is for Real' Crushes Johnny Depp's Latest Bomb 'Transcendence'
Faith-based film Heaven Is for Real soared at the Easter weekend box office, earning a stellar $21.5 million from 2,417 theaters to bury big-budget Transcendence, which opened to a dismal $11.5 million from 3,455 locations.
Transcendence marks the third big-budget bomb in a row for Johnny Depp after The Lone Ranger and Dark Shadows.
Captain America, staying at No. 1 for its third consecutive weekend, grossed $26.6 million from 3,825 locations to cross the $200 million mark domestically and hit $586.6 million worldwide in another major victory for Marvel Studios and Disney.
Fox's animated family film Rio 2 grossed $22.5 million from 3,975 locations in its second weekend for a domestic total of $75.4 million.
Heaven Is for Real, placing No. 3, is the latest Christian film to exceed expectations. Produced by influential pastor T. D. Jakes, director Randall Wallace and Hollywood veteran Joe Roth, Heaven Is for Real stars Greg Kinnear and earned an A CinemaScore. The drama did its biggest business in the country's Bible Belt, but appealed to mainstream audiences as well.
Easter weekend provided further evidence that 2014 is indeed the year of the Bible movies. Heaven Is for Real was one of three such titles populating the top 10 chart. Noah placed No. 9 with $5 million for a domestic cume of $93.2 million, while God's Not Dead came in No. 10 with $4.8 million, pushing its total to $48.2 million.
Heading into the weekend, no one expected the $12 million Heaven Is for Real to beat Transcendence, which cost a hefty $100 million to produce. Transcendence suffered from scathing reviews and a C+ CinemaScore.
Easter weekend saw two other new nationwide offerings -- A Haunted House 2 and Disney documentary Bears. Haunted House 2 placed No. 5 with $9.1 million from 2,310 theaters, half of the $18 million opening secured by the first film. Bears placed No. 11 with a less-than-expected $4.7 million from 1,720 theaters, the lowest opening of any Disneynature title.
Over the weekend, Frozen became the No. 6 title of all time worldwide with $1.129 billion in earnings, passing up The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King ($1.114 billion) and Transformers: Dark of the Moon ($1.123 billion). It has also passed up Ice Age 4 ($716 million) to become the top-grossing animated film at the international box office with $729.3 million.
Transcendence marks the third big-budget bomb in a row for Johnny Depp after The Lone Ranger and Dark Shadows.
Captain America, staying at No. 1 for its third consecutive weekend, grossed $26.6 million from 3,825 locations to cross the $200 million mark domestically and hit $586.6 million worldwide in another major victory for Marvel Studios and Disney.
Fox's animated family film Rio 2 grossed $22.5 million from 3,975 locations in its second weekend for a domestic total of $75.4 million.
Heaven Is for Real, placing No. 3, is the latest Christian film to exceed expectations. Produced by influential pastor T. D. Jakes, director Randall Wallace and Hollywood veteran Joe Roth, Heaven Is for Real stars Greg Kinnear and earned an A CinemaScore. The drama did its biggest business in the country's Bible Belt, but appealed to mainstream audiences as well.
Easter weekend provided further evidence that 2014 is indeed the year of the Bible movies. Heaven Is for Real was one of three such titles populating the top 10 chart. Noah placed No. 9 with $5 million for a domestic cume of $93.2 million, while God's Not Dead came in No. 10 with $4.8 million, pushing its total to $48.2 million.
Heading into the weekend, no one expected the $12 million Heaven Is for Real to beat Transcendence, which cost a hefty $100 million to produce. Transcendence suffered from scathing reviews and a C+ CinemaScore.
Easter weekend saw two other new nationwide offerings -- A Haunted House 2 and Disney documentary Bears. Haunted House 2 placed No. 5 with $9.1 million from 2,310 theaters, half of the $18 million opening secured by the first film. Bears placed No. 11 with a less-than-expected $4.7 million from 1,720 theaters, the lowest opening of any Disneynature title.
Over the weekend, Frozen became the No. 6 title of all time worldwide with $1.129 billion in earnings, passing up The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King ($1.114 billion) and Transformers: Dark of the Moon ($1.123 billion). It has also passed up Ice Age 4 ($716 million) to become the top-grossing animated film at the international box office with $729.3 million.
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Doctor’s Real-Life Conversion From Atheism to Christianity Inspired a Central Character in God's Not Dead
Martin Yip is one of the main characters in “God’s Not Dead,” the movie about a student who debates an atheist professor on the existence of God that surprised Hollywood with its impressive performance at the box office.
Yip’s character, an atheist who converts to Christianity after meeting protagonist Josh Wheaton on campus, is actually based on a real-life doctor who went through a similar experience decades ago.
Dr. Ming Wang, an eye surgeon in Nashville, Tenn., was studying in the U.S. when he became a follower of Jesus.
His story, captured in the 2013 book “God’s Not Dead” (the book preceded the film), began in China, where he grew up with parents who taught at a medical school, according to the Tennessean.
Coming from a highly educated family, Wang said academics were always of the utmost importance.
“Everything was about scholarship, learning and science in our family,” he told the Tennessean. “Education was the most important.”
He ended up going to Harvard Medical School, where he graduated with honors and was later one of the first surgeons in the U.S. to perform laser cataract surgery. He also holds a degree from MIT and a doctorate in laser physics.
It was at Harvard, though, that he went through a transformation that transcended academics. Wang began questioning certain structures, wondering how the eye, for instance, could be so complex, yet still the result of random evolution.
And that was only one example of the inquisitiveness that sent him on a spiritual path.
A professor’s faith also inspired him, leading Wang to eventually embrace Christianity, the Tennessean reported.
Certainly not one to discredit science, Wang believes that it simply doesn’t tell the whole story about life’s complexities on its own.
Yip, the character based on Wang, is depicted in “God’s Not Dead” as a smart and curious young man who experiences Wheaton’s theological battle with Professor Radisson firsthand, watching the two go toe-to-toe over God’s existence during a series of in-class debates.
After hearing both sides of the debate, Yip ends up becoming a Christian.
Watch Wang share his story on TBN below:
Yip’s character, an atheist who converts to Christianity after meeting protagonist Josh Wheaton on campus, is actually based on a real-life doctor who went through a similar experience decades ago.
Dr. Ming Wang, an eye surgeon in Nashville, Tenn., was studying in the U.S. when he became a follower of Jesus.
His story, captured in the 2013 book “God’s Not Dead” (the book preceded the film), began in China, where he grew up with parents who taught at a medical school, according to the Tennessean.
Coming from a highly educated family, Wang said academics were always of the utmost importance.
“Everything was about scholarship, learning and science in our family,” he told the Tennessean. “Education was the most important.”
He ended up going to Harvard Medical School, where he graduated with honors and was later one of the first surgeons in the U.S. to perform laser cataract surgery. He also holds a degree from MIT and a doctorate in laser physics.
It was at Harvard, though, that he went through a transformation that transcended academics. Wang began questioning certain structures, wondering how the eye, for instance, could be so complex, yet still the result of random evolution.
And that was only one example of the inquisitiveness that sent him on a spiritual path.
A professor’s faith also inspired him, leading Wang to eventually embrace Christianity, the Tennessean reported.
Certainly not one to discredit science, Wang believes that it simply doesn’t tell the whole story about life’s complexities on its own.
Yip, the character based on Wang, is depicted in “God’s Not Dead” as a smart and curious young man who experiences Wheaton’s theological battle with Professor Radisson firsthand, watching the two go toe-to-toe over God’s existence during a series of in-class debates.
After hearing both sides of the debate, Yip ends up becoming a Christian.
Watch Wang share his story on TBN below:
Monday, March 31, 2014
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.”
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.
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.
Thursday, March 27, 2014
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
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
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
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.”
read full article
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.”
read full article
Monday, March 24, 2014
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.
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.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
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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"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.
Read full article
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Trailer Released for Controversial "God's Not Dead"
New trailer for God's Not Dead film starring Kevin Sorbo, Dean Cain and the Newsboys.
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