moviegoers are apparently feeling the Spirit.
Premiering last week, revival-themed “Jesus Revolution” from co-director Jon Erwin (“I Can Only Imagine”) earned $15.8 million — one of the biggest first weekends ever for a faith-based movie. “While the runaway hit is exciting, it translates to over one million people who have watched and been inspired by the movie,” said producer Kevin Downes. “That’s why we made it, and what we’re thrilled to see.”
The based-on-true-events film stars Kelsey Grammer (“Frasier”) as a California pastor and Jonathan Roumie (“The Chosen”) as the hippie preacher who turns his staid southern California church upside-down. Reviews have been mixed — with most audiences loving it, while most general-market and some Christiancritics note certain flaws.
Regardless, such a massive haul validates the film’s producer, Kingdom Story Company, in its premise and strategy. Kingdom Story’s Jon and Andy Erwin have long said Christian audiences are underserved and that it’s possible to get the faithful out en masse with enough effort. It’s why Hollywood studio Lionsgate inked a deal to distribute Kingdom Story films.
While “Jesus Revolution” may not ignite every believer’s soul, fear not. This year, a diversity of filmmakers are rolling out a wide selection of faith-conscious titles. Most are based on true stories, with a range of genres, including thriller, comedy, musical, and romance. Here are 10 outside-the-box faith films slated for the year ahead.
‘Wildcat’ (biopic, fall)
The works of Flannery O’Connor loom large among the faithful in America, despite the Catholic writer being plagued by lupus and dying in 1964 at the age of 39. Now writer-director-star Ethan Hawke (“Gattaca”) is bringing her story to the big screen in “Wildcat,” a biopic that will reveal struggles the young woman from Georgia encountered in publishing her first book and what influenced her focus on the downtrodden in society.
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