Hollywood Rethinking Faith Films

[Texsox]

By SHARON WAXMAN

 

OS ANGELES, March 14 — As the overwhelming success of "The Passion of the Christ" reverberates through Hollywood, producers and studio executives are asking whether the movie industry has been neglecting large segments of the American audience eager for more openly religious fare.

 

During the weekend the film took in another $31.6 million, increasing the total box office to $264 million in nearly three weeks, according to Exhibitor Relations, which tracks ticket sales.

 

Unlike many blockbusters, the movie has not dropped precipitously soon after a huge opening weekend. It is expected to finish its domestic run taking in well over $300 million in box-office receipts, easily outstripping big-budget movies like "The Hulk" or any in the "Matrix" series.

 

That number will only swell when the film is released internationally, beginning in Europe and Latin America in the next few weeks. The foreign audience is expected to be huge. And 20th Century Fox is in negotiations to distribute the DVD and videocassette, which is also expected to be immensely profitable.

 

"You can't ignore those numbers," said Mark Johnson, a veteran film producer. "You can't say it's just a fluke. There's something to be read here."

 

The movie's box-office success has been chewed over in studio staff meetings and at pricey watering holes all over Hollywood, echoed in interviews with numerous executives in the last week. In marketing departments the film is regarded as pure genius; its director, Mel Gibson, is credited with stoking a controversy that yanked the film from the margins of the culture to center stage, presenting it as a must-see.

 

There is little doubt at the studios that the movie will affect decision making in the short and the long term. Some predict, as one result, a wave of New Testament-themed movies or more religious films in general.

 

"Will there really be scriptural pictures — Old Testament, New Testament?" asked Peter Guber, a producer who formerly ran Sony Pictures Entertainment. "The answer seemingly is probably so."

 

The turn-on-a-dime television world has already responded. Last week ABC broadcast the long-shelved movie "Judas," about the disciple who betrayed Jesus. It lost in the ratings to "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "C.S.I.: Miami."

 

And as publicity about "The Passion" grew in the weeks before its release, NBC ordered a pilot of an apocalyptic show called "Revelations," partly based on the Book of Revelation. One of its producers, Gavin Polone, described it as being along the lines of "The X-Files," but about a nun and a skeptical scientist who begin to believe in the Bible as the events of Armageddon begin to happen. In his pitch to the networks, he said, he cited polls in which 78 percent of Americans said they believed that the events of Revelation would occur and 39 percent said they believed that those events would happen in their lifetime.

 

" 'The Passion' has helped," Mr. Polone said.

 

He said that Hollywood executives were overlooking broad segments of moviegoers who are unlike themselves — upper-middle class, college educated — even though Hollywood's stock in trade is mass-market entertainment.

 

Mr. Guber said that reaction to that movie's success was butting up against the feelings of many in Hollywood who dislike its widely criticized portrayal of Jewish responsibility in the death of Jesus.

 

"There's both discomfort, amazement and anger — sometimes all at once," he said. "Greed and envy and anger and jealousy are all interesting bedfellows. They make for interesting conjugal visits in this town."

 

Many movie executives said they were uncertain about whether to try to imitate "The Passion."

 

"I wouldn't know how to duplicate this," said Jeff Robinov, the president of production at Warner Brothers.

The rest of the story

[Chisoxfn]

Am I like one of the only people that has yet to see this film?

[Queen Prawn]

Am I like one of the only people that has yet to see this film?

Mel's Passion movie?

 

I haven't seen it either. Plan on renting it when/if it comes out on DVD though.

[Reddy]

i actually havent seen it either... i really dun have a huge desire to either

[DonkeyKongerko]

Don't really want to see it here either.

[Soxy]

Am I like one of the only people that has yet to see this film?

Haven't seen it either. But I might, if my dad takes me, buys my ticket and buys me popcorn and a big soda AND takes me out for ice-cream later. AND lets me explain all the theological inaccuracies later. So, odds on me seeing it: slim to none.

[CrimsonWeltall]

Yeah, people will go see religious movies...if they have a ton of controversy.

[Cali]

Didn't see the movie, don't really care, not a religious person, but I love all these people predicting the end of Mel Gibson's career..... $250 Million later

 

As Kramer would say: He knew what he was doing.....

[YASNY]

I haven't seen it, but I'll probably check it out on DVD.

[Goldmember]

I haven't seen it, but I'll probably check it out on DVD.

same here

[moochpuppy]

My wife and I haven't seen it but will be when it comes out on DVD.

 

If Hollywood starts making more religious based films I suggest they start with the book, "The Third Millenium" by Paul Meier and Robert Wise. It's about the third Anti-Christ who ends up being the President of the United States, the Apocalypse, the second coming of Christ. I'm not a very religious person but a co-worker suggested the book and I found it very interesting.

[mreye]

I've seen it. I liked it.

 

It doesn't surprise me that Hollywood wants to jump in the bandwagon. The same Hollywood that predicted doom for this film and criticized Gibson fro profiting from religion. Ha! I also heard that filmakers can make even more money on religious flicks because they don't have to pay the author.

[aboz56]

I've seen it, loved it and think it's a movie that everyone should see at some point.

[aboz56]

BTW, Passion has moved to the 22nd all-time highest grossing film in the US.

 

Here's a link for the complete list:

 

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/domestic.htm

 

What's most impressive about this list, Star Wars grossing that kind of money in 1977 and ET doing the same thing in 1982.

[FlaSoxxJim]

I don't know if anyone else caught it. but CBS (I think that's the network) is getting ready to dust off their big-budget miniseries "Jesus" from a few years ago to air again in the wake of the success of "The Passion" (haven't seen in, not rushing out to do so). The funny thing is that, in the Passion ferver, they're not going to bother showing the 4 hours of Jesus' life and teaching, JUST the last installment with the crucifiction and the resurrection.

 

:headshake

[Soxy]

I don't know if anyone else caught it. but CBS (I think that's the network) is getting ready to dust off their big-budget miniseries "Jesus" from a few years ago to air again in the wake of the success of "The Passion" (haven't seen in, not rushing out to do so).  The funny thing is that, in the Passion ferver, they're not going to bother showing the 4 hours of Jesus' life and teaching, JUST the last installment with the crucifiction and the resurrection.

 

:headshake

That's the one with the guy from Clueless as Jesus!!!! That's all I had to add.

[Soxy]

Crap, hold on. No it's not. I just caught the end of what you said, Flaxx, and now I have something else to add. Could just edit my old statement, but, meh.

 

The problem with the Passion, theologically, and with the them just showing the last isntallment of that mini-series is that they lose the ethical message and, essentially, the ENTIRE MESSAGE of what Jesus actually preached. By just showing crucifixtion the execs are basically divorcing the fact that Jesus was crucified for a reason. The movie doesn't show WHY Jesus was crucied jsut that he was. It takes more of a Pauline view on the crucifixtion than a Gospel view. So, by sticking to this "Gospel" message of the passion we're actually getting further from the actual ethical message of what Jesus preached, and so forth by not talking about what he said and did. You can't have a movie about Jesus' death without mentioning the fact that he DIED because he was questioning the very power structures that crucified him--and that is what the passion and all of these movies are missing. By just focusing on his death we are missing the radically compassionate message of Jesus' life which ultimately lead to his death.

[FlaSoxxJim]

I agree. Of course, the argument has been made and will be made that stripping away the details leading up to crucifixion leaves only the central message to Christians that Jesus died so that man could gain salvation. I dislike that agrument for three reasons.

 

First, there is the historico-political context that is instrumental in forcing events to unfold as they did, and as ou said, Jesus speaking out in defiance of the (earthly) powers that be is an essential ingredient. Secondly, all of the humanity, love, teaching, and positive messages (the bit about 'the least of My brothers' annd all) is short-changed for the sake of violent spectacle. Yes, the willing sacrifice, death, and resurrection for the sake of man is what it boils down to for Christians, but why isolate that from the rest of the Gospels' narrative.

 

Finally, my personal beef. The people who see nothing wrong with isolating the last 12 hours of Jesus life from the first 33 years that led up to it are the same people that will give you chapter and verse (Old Testament and New, oft-cited and obscure) and rant about how THEIR SPIN on the Bible pertains to what ever aspect of their life, my life, and your life they are spouting off on at the moment. If this flavor of Christian is ok with isolating those last hours (and in particular, dwelling on the violence in it all), then I see nothing wrong with people who can basically boil down the message to: love God and love each other. Come to think of it, I think Jesus was one of those people, wasn't he?