Written by Dawn Chmielewski and Lisa Richwine
LOS ANGELES – The script for the Biblical epic “Mary,” which tells the story of the Nativity from the perspective of Mary of Nazareth, had been stuck in Hollywood for about 15 years before going into production.
As the independent film neared completion in September of this year, it attracted interest from three major Hollywood studios and streaming giant Netflix, which has emerged as a global distributor and released the film this month.
“Mary” ranked in the top 10 English-language movies on Netflix, with 24.6 million views.
“The market has changed dramatically over the past five years,” said director DJ Caruso. “Especially in the blockbuster, high-quality faith-based genres. There’s a real desire and hunger out there right now.”
Hollywood is turning to God, the American West, and outdoor enthusiasts to reach a broader audience. Big movie studios, wealthy investors and streaming services are pouring money into faith-based films, rodeos and outdoor lifestyle shows as an alternative to superhero stories and sex-and-violence-heavy dramas.
Studio executives, talent agents and TV show operators told Reuters they recognized the industry was losing large swathes of the United States. The election of Donald Trump as president in November, backed by working-class voters, underscored the program’s importance not just to coastal cities but to the entire country.
Hollywood has regularly mined the Bible for box office success with movies like “The Ten Commandments” and “Noah.” The success of Angel Studio’s The Sound of Freedom, a 2023 thriller loosely based on the story of a Homeland Security officer who rescues children from sex trafficking, has made it popular with religious and conservative viewers. It captivated the audience and sparked new interest in the genre.
From fear to faith
Paranormal Activity director Jason Blum, Hollywood’s master of modern horror, is working with Lionsgate and other investors to create faith-based films and series for Amazon Prime Video. Backed independent studio The Wonder Project, which raised more than $75 million. House of David, a series about the Biblical king, will be released in February.
“There are so many people across the country who think this is exactly the kind of show they want to watch with their families,” said Lionsgate Vice Chairman Michael Burns.
Earlier this year, Lionsgate renewed its partnership with Kingdom Story Company, the production company behind “Jesus Revolution.”
Meanwhile, Netflix has signed a multi-year deal with acclaimed director and actor Tyler Perry to produce faith-based films for its streaming service.
Some executives told Reuters the industry recognizes a widespread lack of films and TV shows in the U.S. that have garnered critical acclaim but limited viewership.
This disparity is exemplified by the commercial success of Paramount Network’s “Yellowstone,” a Western soap opera that took America’s heartland by storm. “Yellowstone” drew more than 11.4 million viewers for its season 5 finale, nearly four times as many viewers as the 2023 finale of the Emmy Award-winning HBO series “Succession.”
Thomas Tull, a superhero film producer and founder of Legendary Entertainment, recognized this opportunity before many others. He launched Teton Ridge, a rodeo-focused Western sports, entertainment and lifestyle brand, in 2019 with TWG Global and Guggenheim Partners CEO Mark Walter. The company, owned by TWG Global, has attracted additional investment from venture capitalists Jim Breyer and the Lee Bass family office.
Live competitions such as bull riding, steer wrestling, and barrel racing attract 80 million global viewers annually.
cowboy heroes
Teton Ridge signed a deal last month to acquire the Cowboy Channel and Cowgirl Channel, securing exclusive media rights to more than 600 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association rodeos. This brings us to the American Rodeo Contender Series, where championship weekends are broadcast live on Fox Sports, and the podcast Let’s Freakin’ Rodeo, hosted by top-ranked tie-down roper Ty Harris and his hosts. The collection of sports assets will be enhanced. his cousin, director Cole Harris;
Meanwhile, Teton Ridge Entertainment explores Western stories with films, series and documentaries, including an adaptation of the late best-selling author Louis L’Amour’s novel “Fallon,” set in the Wild West, and CEO Deirdre Lester is a “curious cowboy.”
“Our mission is to create content for underserved audiences,” said Jillian Shea, president of Teton Ridge Entertainment. “My focus for the past 20 years of my career has been to create work that appeals to more people in our country than many of us, including ourselves.”
She called the cowboy “the first truly great American hero.”
“When you look at superheroes, when you look at Marvel and DC, you think, what could be more iconic than a cowboy?” Shea said.
The Chernin Group, the investment fund of veteran entertainment executive Peter Chernin, became a major investor in MeatEater in 2018. Meat Eater is a fast-growing media brand built around outdoorsman Stephen Rinella, best-selling author, podcaster, and host of the upcoming History Channel series “Hunting History.”
But some feel left out by Hollywood’s pursuit of America’s heartland. They fear executives are becoming afraid of being labeled “woke” by Florida Governor and former Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis against Walt Disney. I am doing it.
A TV showrunner was in the final stages of negotiations for a streaming series featuring a diverse cast, but learned the day after President Trump’s election that the project would not move forward. The showrunner, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation, said he saw a correlation between the show’s decision and President Trump’s victory.
Another development executive shared an email from a network executive who rejected the project as too “political.”
Earlier this year, the producers of President Trump’s biopic “The Apprentice” struggled to find a distributor, despite receiving a rapturous reception at May’s Cannes Film Festival.
Trump’s lawyers sent a cease-and-desist letter to the filmmakers. Briarcliff Entertainment released the film in October, and stars Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong received Golden Globe nominations.
Disney announced this week that it has removed a transgender storyline from Pixar’s upcoming animated series “Win or Lose.” The character remains on the show, but several lines of dialogue that reference the character’s gender identity have been removed.
“When it comes to animated content for younger audiences, we recognize that many parents prefer to discuss certain themes with their children on their own terms and timelines,” a Disney spokesperson said in a statement. .
This article was generated from the Automata news agency feed without any modifications to the text.
