3 days ago
Angel Studios Builds Christian Film Empire Outside Hollywood System
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Angel Studios, best known for its breakout hit Sound of Freedom, is challenging Hollywood by focusing on a market often overlooked by major studios: faith-based audiences. Founded in 2013 by Neal Harmon and his brothers Jeffrey, Daniel, and Jordan, the independent Christian media company emerged from a desire to find uplifting content for their children.
Jeffrey Harmon, the studio's co-founder and Chief Content Officer, told Newsweek that they're thriving because Hollywood has an "allergic reaction to faith content."
Challenging the Hollywood Model
Angel Studios had their first major breakthrough with the 2023 release of Sound of Freedom. The Jim Caviezel movie, based on the real-life efforts of Tim Ballard to combat child trafficking, became an unexpected smash success. Initially projected to gross $25 million, it went on to make over $250 million worldwide and become one of the most successful independent movies of all time.
"That takes a movie that has a viral element to it. You can't just force market into that big of a movie," Harmon told Newsweek.
Angel Studios co-founder Jeffrey Harmon speaks with Newsweek about their new series "Testament," the lack of religious films in the industry and whether Hollywood is dying.
Angel Studios co-founder Jeffrey Harmon speaks with Newsweek about their new series "Testament," the lack of religious films in the industry and whether Hollywood is dying.
Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty/Canva
Since then, the studio has steadily released a string of more minor movies and TV shows. Animated movie The King of Kings, a loose adaptation of Charles Dickens' The Life of Our Lord, was released in April and made $67 million at the box office. Their most recent live action movie, The Last Rodeo, was released in theaters on May 23.
Its not just that Angel Studios is a Christian media company that makes it different from the rest of Hollywood. The studio relies on an unconventional model where projects are greenlit by the Angel Guild, a community of over 1 million members who pay monthly dues and vote on which projects move forward.
"Rather than a dozen people in Hollywood making all the decisions... we have 1.2 million people... and they are voting on all the movies," Harmon explained.
Though Harmon sometimes disagrees with the guild's decisions, he says their collective judgment often outperforms his own. "When you have a million people having their voices heard, they know better than I do."
Tapping Into a Growing Christian Audience
In early 2024, Pew Research Center reported that 62 percent of American adults identified as Christian. Despite this, the number of Hollywood movies featuring Christian themes remains few and far between.
Harmon said Angel Studios is uniquely positioned to serve this demographic. "Those people want to have more of their faith represented in movies and TV series, and we're able to provide that."
Rather than waiting for traditional studios to cater to this audience, Harmon says, "We're saying, 'That's fine, we'll take them.' We'll provide authentic, faithful views... rather than a more negative, nihilistic view."
Jeffrey Harmon attends the premiere of "Sound of Freedom" on June 28, 2023 in Vineyard, Utah.
Jeffrey Harmon attends the premiere of "Sound of Freedom" on June 28, 2023 in Vineyard, Angel Studios
Gen Z remains the most frequent moviegoing demographic, with older generations, especially Baby Boomers, attending less often. And the Pew research also showed one interesting trend; after years of decline, Gen Z is driving somewhat of a religious revival. Gen Z men in particular are actually more likely to attend weekly religious services than past generations.
Angel Studios is keenly aware of this trend.
"We are releasing eight movies this year, we're a top 10 U.S. distributor, and I think young people understand that where timeless art is created and where our timeless art is presented is in the theaters," Harmon said.
Expanding Beyond the US
Angel Studios recently surpassed one million guild members from 170 countries. As well as ramping up their production slate, the studio is looking to expand its footprint beyond the US.
In 2024, the studio partnered with U.K.-based Kova Releasing for faith-centered films like Bonhoeffer and The King of Kings. Their latest series, Testament, a modern reimagining of the Book of Acts, was filmed in the U.K., and several other productions are being filmed by the studio in the U.K. and Ireland over the coming months.
Harmon believes the show connects with audiences by reflecting how global cultures personalize religious art.
"If you go to Africa, Jesus and the apostles are African; in India, they look Indian... people take Jesus into the context that they understand," he explained.
Testament places Biblical themes in a dystopian setting. "This world... is different than what we've ever seen before for a Jesus film," Harmon said.
With plans to double their guild membership and a potential public listing ahead, Angel Studios is poised to expand further.
Testament will premiere June 8 on and the Angel TV & Mobile app.
