Latest news with #TheLifeofOurLord
Newsweek
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Angel Studios Builds Christian Film Empire Outside Hollywood System
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. 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.
Korea Herald
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Lee Byung-hun to headline Korean dub cast for 'The King of Kings'
Record-breaking box office hit brings A-list voices to animated biblical epic Actor Lee Byung-hun will lend his voice to Charles Dickens in the Korean dubbing of "The King of Kings," joining a star-studded cast for the animated film that has become the highest-grossing Korean production in US box office history. Thursday's cast announcement by Mofac Studio revealed Jin Sun-kyu as Jesus, Lee Ha-nee as Catherine Dickens alongside Lee and Yang Dong-geun as Peter. Veteran actors Cha In-pyo (Pontius Pilate), Kwon Oh-joong (King Herod), and Jang Gwang (High Priest Caiaphas) round out the ensemble. The film follows Dickens and his son Walter exploring the life of Christ, based on the author's posthumously published work "The Life of Our Lord." Written and directed by Jang Seong-ho, the production had already turned heads with its A-list Hollywood voice cast featuring Pierce Brosnan, Oscar Isaac and Kenneth Branagh. The animated feature has emerged as an unexpected box office phenomenon since its April 11 release. It claimed second place in its opening week with $19.4 million, trailing only "A Minecraft Movie" while outpacing several major studio releases. By early June, "The King of Kings" had earned $60.2 million in the US and Canada, with worldwide gross reaching $67 million. It became the highest-grossing Korean film in North American box office history, surpassing "Parasite," which earned $53.8 million following its Oscar sweep in 2020.
American Press
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- American Press
Free tickets on Thursday to ‘King of Kings' film
(Special to the American Press) Special to the American Press The Johnson Firm is offering free tickets to all showings of the 'King of Kings' movie at Cinemark Lake Charles at Prien Lake Mall on Thursday. 'We believe in supporting meaningful experiences that uplift and inspire our community. 'King of Kings' is a powerful presentation of faith, hope and the story of Easter,' the firm said. 'This is our way of saying thank you to the people of Southwest Louisiana and sharing in a message that brings families together and reminds us of the values that matter most.' 'The King of Kings' is an animated Christian film written loosely inspired by the children's book 'The Life of Our Lord' by Charles Dickens. In the film, Dickens attempts to perform a recital of 'A Christmas Carol' before a theater audience, only to be constantly interrupted by his overly rambunctious son Walter, who very noisily acts out the exploits of King Arthur backstage with the aid of his rotund feline sidekick. The performance ruined, Dickens considers punishing the boy, but his wife Catherine suggests the writer instead try to lure Walter away from his obsession with the Round Table by offering him another story about a king even greater than Arthur — the 'King of Kings,'Jesus Christ. The Johnson Firm said tickets will be available at the cinema on a first-come, first-served basis for all showings of 'King of Kings' on Thursday. Showtimes are at noon, 12:30 p.m., 2:45 p.m., 3:15 p.m. 5:30 p.m, 6 p.m., 8:15 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. 'Join us in celebrating this season of renewal — we're honored to help you be a part of it,' the firm said.
Forbes
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘The King Of Kings' Sets Box Office Record For Animated Faith-Based Film
A scene from "The King of Kings." Angel Studios The animated biblical film The King of Kings — starring the voices of Oscar Isaac and Pierce Brosnan — set a major record in its first weekend in theaters. Based on Charles Dickens' classic novel The Life of Our Lord, Angel Studios' The King of Kings opened in theaters on Friday. In addition to Isaac (voice of Jesus) and Brosnan (Pontius Pilate), The King of Kings also stars the voices of Kenneth Branagh (Charles Dickens), Uma Thurman (Catherine Dickens), Mark Hamill (King Herrod), Ben Kingsley (High Priest Caiaphas) and Forest Whitaker (Peter). Roman Griffith Davis also stars as the voice of Walter Dickens and James Arnold Taylor voices the roles of Melchior/Matthew/Thomas/Phillip/Young Jesus. According to Angel Studios, The King of Kings earned an estimated $19 million from 3,200 North American theaters, which sets the box record for the biggest opening for a faith-based animated film. The weekend opening for the film bests the previous record holder, The Prince of Egypt, which earned $14.5 million in its first three-day frame. 'The Angel Guild picks winners. Angel's revolutionary idea is simple — listen to what our Angel Guild wants,' Brandon Purdie, Global Head of Theatrical Distribution & Brand Development at Angel said in a statement. '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 5th animated film to hold that title that isn't a Pixar/Disney production,' Purdie added. 'Families want quality films to see together in theaters. This weekend simply reflects what audiences are craving.' The official summary for The King of Kings reads, 'A father tells his son the greatest story ever told, and what begins as a bedtime tale becomes a life-changing journey. Through vivid imagination, the boy walks alongside Jesus, witnessing His miracles, facing His trials and understanding His ultimate sacrifice.' With its $19 million domestic tally, The King of Kings was the top newcomer at last weekend's box office, which featured the introduction of five new films in wide release, including Drop, The Amateur, Warfare and The Chosen: The Last Supper Part 3. A Minecraft Movie — Jack Black and Jason Momoa's adaptation of the blockbuster video game Minecraft — took No. 1 for the second consecutive weekend with an estimated domestic take of $80 million. Rated PG, The King of Kings is directed by Seong-ho Jang from a screenplay by Jang and Rob Edwards.
Fox News
12-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
'The King of Kings' proves there's 'clearly an audience' for faith-based movies: expert
"The Kings of Kings," a faith-based film that retells the story of Jesus, has set a record for the biggest biblical animated movie opening ever — beating out 1998's "The Prince of Egypt" — even before it officially opened this weekend. By Thursday, the film had taken in more than $14.6 million in domestic pre-sales, showing that there's "clearly an audience and a market for faith-based entertainment," Fox News contributor and host of the "Arroyo Grande" podcast Raymond Arroyo told Fox News Digital. The movie is based on a Charles Dickens book called "The Life of Our Lord," which Dickens actually read to his children, as the character Dickens does in the movie. "I know there is an enormous yearning in the audience for this kind of content that is both faith-inflected — doesn't mean that it has to be evangelical, or it has be, you know, beating you over the head with a religious message — but just that it acknowledges that faith is an element in human life and history," Arroyo, who noted he has produced faith-based content in the past, added. The movie also has an A-list voice cast, including Pierce Brosnan, Uma Thurman, Kenneth Branagh, Mark Hamill, Ben Kingsley, Forest Whitaker and Oscar Isaac. "It's an incredible cast they've assembled," Arroyo said, adding that it's also an accessible framework "for families in that it's a father telling a story to a child." He said that the movie educates children "on two levels: You're teaching them not only about the faith that you adhere to, but you're weaving in this incredible, iconic novelist that you're introducing them to on some level, and it just becomes a frame of reference for families." "They've smartly identified and understood that there is a massive underserved audience there of not only faithful people looking for depictions of faith on the screen and in their entertainment, but you also have families with very few options of places they can take their family to be entertained," he explained. Arroyo said that, given the combination of the "yearning for religious content" and a movie that's "that's fun and engaging for a family and their timing before Easter," "The Kings of Kings" has got "winner written all over." "When your audience wants something, you have to find a way to give it to them," he added. "There's clearly an audience and a market for this." "When your audience wants something, you have to find a way to give it to them. There's clearly an audience and a market for this." Public relations expert Matt Wolf agreed, telling Fox News Digital, "You can make the argument that Americans are definitely looking for more faith in their entertainment, especially content that reflects their values and beliefs. Data also shows that this market is consistently growing. And what makes 'The King of Kings' particularly unique is that it's animated." Doug Eldridge, another PR expert, said the film's buzz is "reflective both of its timing (a week before Easter) and the seeming shift in national sentiment, towards a more open-armed embrace of traditional Christian values and creative content." "For context, in 2004, 'The Passion of the Christ' generated $612 million at the global box office," he said. "In 2014, 'Heaven Is for Real' generated $101 million at the global box office, on a $2 million budget. Now, in 2025, an animated retelling of the story of Jesus — especially one featuring the voice talent of notable Hollywood names — is arriving at the right time, for the right audience." Mel Gibson proved 20 years ago that faith-based movies can be successful "when Hollywood kind of turned its back on this audience and Gibson put his own money" towards "The Passion of the Christ," and "took a chance on a narrative that was, you know, set in a foreign tongue, you know, 2,000-year-old stories set in foreign tongue and broke box office records," Arroyo said. "These works will rise or fall on their own merits," Arroyo said of faith-based entertainment. "If the narrative is tight, if the story is well imparted, you are dealing with an individual, Jesus Christ, who, for more than two millennia now, shaped all of human history in an incredible way. And I think that no matter whether you believe it or not, or whether you're an adherent of Christianity or not, there is something to be examined here in this person." Arroyo continued: "There's a reason that he continues to arrest the imagination of artists through time, through history. And I think this is just another iteration. And I think it's kind of cool that they've decided to frame it within the very accessible Charles Dickens box. … It's a neat on-ramp for children into a story that is so profound and filled with such complexity." Arroyo said that people don't want to be "lectured to" in a religious film. "They just want to be acknowledged and have their sensibilities respected. And that's what I think the best of these, what are called 'faith-based projects,' end up doing. They are high art in the case of, you know, 'Passion of the Christ,' and they can also be entertaining," he said. "The King of Kings" bowed Friday.
