To its detriment, Hollywood has discovered in recent years that a four-word law now governs entertainment: go woke, go broke.
Now, the entire film industry would do well to learn a similar and more positive law: audiences crave Christian content.
The latest evidence for this craving appeared with last weekend’s release of Angel Studios’ “The King of Kings,” which, according to The Christian Post, shattered the record for a biblical animated film by taking in more than $19 million, thereby demonstrating that the audience eager for well-made Christian entertainment includes children.
Incredibly, according to industry pollster CinemaScore, “The King of Kings” earned a rare A+ rating from audiences.
Angel Studios’ “Angel Guild” crowdfunding feature makes films like “The King of Kings” possible. In fact, the studio and its supporters backed the 2023 summer blockbuster “Sound of Freedom.”
Brandon Purdie, Global Head of Theatrical Distribution & Brand Development at Angel, credited that crowdfunding model.
“The Angel Guild picks winners. Angel’s revolutionary idea is simple: know your audience — and listen to them,” Purdie said, per the Post. “The CinemaScore for The King of Kings says it all. The film is one of only 128 films to achieve an A+ CinemaScore, and only the fifth animated film to hold that title that isn’t a Pixar/Disney production. Families want quality films to see together in theaters. This weekend simply reflects what audiences are craving.”
Angel Studios co-founder Jordan Harmon also credited the crowdfunding model.
“It’s discouraging to think that people haven’t been fulfilling this massive of an audience for that long in terms of the animated space,” Harmon told Variety. “We less look at things like, ‘What are we missing inside of our slate?’ We look at what the Guild is really resonating with. I think the Guild naturally finds things before even the executives could know that it’s becoming a pent-up demand for the world.”
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Meanwhile, on the creative side, South Korean director Seong-Ho Jang saw the film as an opportunity to fill a void and reach young people.
“As a Christian myself, I was a little bit surprised that there aren’t any feature film animations that talk about Jesus’ story,” Jang told the Post through a translator. “So there was big motivation for me.”
“There are a lot of Christians in Korea,” he added. “But sadly, not many young people are going to church. I thought, there’s a need for someone to deliver the message of Jesus in the right way.”
Jang also explained that he built the animated film around the theme of Jesus’ love.
“The Life of Our Lord,” by 19th-century literary legend Charles Dickens, provided the inspiration for the “The King of Kings.”
In the film, Dickens himself, through the voice of British actor and filmmaker Kenneth Branagh, teaches his son about Jesus.
Of course, audience reactions matter most. And here Harmon saw evidence of the film’s impact on children from the beginning.
“This movie is really ‘The Passion’ for kids. We did an early screening, and I watched multiple kids walk out with tears on their face,” Harmon told Variety. “They’re having this massively fundamental, moving moment inside of the cinema and its communal experience, and they’re feeling so much power and emotion that they’re getting this beautiful relationship developed even more towards a love towards Christ. I truly believe this film has the potential to bless millions of kids’ lives where this becomes, for lack of a better term, a core memory.”
Of course, Angel did well to listen to its “Guild” members. After all, those who fund such films also comprise a large part of its theater audience.
Furthermore, the success of “The King of Kings” should raise eyebrows in another context.
Last weekend, Part 3 of “The Chosen: The Last Supper” also hit theaters. That Gospel-based series, now in its fifth season, has emerged as a box-office juggernaut.
Thus, “The King of Kings” drew audiences to theaters despite what one might interpret as competition for Christian audiences.
Then again, perhaps the two films boosted one another. Perhaps adults saw “The Chosen” in the evening and then took their kids to “The King of Kings” the next day.
Either way, substantial evidence suggests that audiences, including children, love Jesus.
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