Son of God, a new movie based on the History Channel’s hit miniseries The Bible, is running right behind Liam Neeson’s Non-Stop, a new action film that opened on February 28, 2014. Non-Stop pulled an estimated $10 million in ticket sales.
Ticket sales for the new “Son of God” movie have been fueled in part by religious groups and churches interested in viewing the religious-themed film. While some may call it a film or a movie, Mark Burnett, husband in the husband-wife combo that pitched the concept for Son of God, was quoted by The Times having said:
Yes, it is a movie, but it is more than a movie. This is an evangelizing tool.
The film, which is being distributed to 3,254 screens across the nation by 20th Century Fox, is scheduled to premiere Friday. The president of domestic distribution at 20th Century Fox, Chris Aronson, seemed impressed with Burnett and his wife Roma Downey, as he was quoted having said:
They’ve been on the road seemingly for months. It is a really remarkable achievement, what they’ve been able to do with their tenacity and dedication to the project.
Back to the churches and other groups who have helped ensure a plentiful number of guaranteed ticket sales, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles is set to give away 8,000 anonymously donated tickets. Among the organizations distributing free tickets, there is mega-church pastors Joel Osteen and Rick Warren who are also giving free movie tickets to their followings.
For those who don’t know Burnett, you just might recognize some of the television series he’s successfully produced. They include The Apprentice, The Voice, and Survivor. He was also a co-star on the hit faith-based television show Touched by an Angel.
If neither of the aforementioned new films sound interesting to you, this writer suggests viewing The Lego Movie. Regardless of what you do or don’t see, this year appears to be on track to see the release of a number of incredible motion pictures, including yet another Biblical movie by Paramount Pictures: Noah.
What new movie are you most excited to see this year?
