The faith-based hit movie Jesus Revolution remained in the Top 5 in its sophomore weekend while passing $30 million to become the second highest-grossing film in the history of Kingdom Story Company.
The movie finished No. 5 at the box office with an estimated $8.6 million and has grossed $30.5 million to date. Its estimated per-theater average ($3,359) over the weekend was third-best among all Top 20 movies.
Among all Kingdom Story films, it now trails only I Can Only Imagine, which grossed $83.4 million in 2018. Kingdom Story also made American Underdog, I Still Believe and Woodlawn. It received a rare A+ CinemaScore rating from moviegoers.
The film tells the true story of the hippie-led “Jesus Movement” revival of the 1960s/70s.
Jesus Revolution was released the same month a college-led revival/outpouring launched at Asbury University in Kentucky and spread to other colleges.
Producer Kevin Downes credits the film’s perfect timing to providence.
“Lionsgate had greenlit it, before the pandemic, back in late 2018,” Downes told Christian Headlines, referencing the studio. “We were getting ready to go. We had announced it.”
The pandemic halted production.
“I was like, ‘Okay, God, You don't want us to make this film right now. I’m not sure why. But we need to rest in that.’”
Production on the film re-started after the pandemic.
“God’s timing is perfect,” Downes said.
Jesus Revolution stars Jonathan Roumie (The Chosen) as Lonnie Frisbee, Kelsey Grammer (Cheers, Frasier) as Chuck Smith, Joel Courtney as Greg Laurie, Kimberly Williams-Paisley (Father of the Bride) as Laurie’s mother and Anna Grace Barlow as Laurie’s girlfriend and future wife Cathe.
Grammer told USA Today that faith has played a key role in his life.
“I’ve had hiccups. I’ve had some tragic times. I have wrestled with those and worked my way through them,” he said. “Sometimes rejecting faith, sometimes rejecting God even, in a period of being pretty angry about it. Like, ‘Where were You?’ That kind of thing. But I have come to terms with it and have found great peace in my faith and in Jesus.”
“It’s not cavalier,” Grammer said. “Jesus made a difference in my life. That’s not anything I’ll apologize for.”
Related:
Moviegoers ‘Are Coming to Christ’ after Watching ‘Jesus Revolution’: Producer
4 Things You Should Know about ‘Jesus Revolution’
‘Jesus Revolution’ Shocks Hollywood with Packed Theaters, No. 3 Finish: ‘Miraculous’
Kelsey Grammer Weeps While Discussing ‘Jesus Revolution’: ‘I Love this Movie’
‘Jesus Revolution’ Is an ‘Opportunity for Evangelism,’ Producer Says of Feb. 24 Film
Photo courtesy: ©Lionsgate, used with permission.
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
