Faith-based and faith-friendly movies have a better standing in Hollywood right now than they’ve had in years. Consumers show up in hordes time and time again when a faith story is told well on the big screen.
This year’s “I Can Only Imagine” is a perfect example of the serious demand among many right-leaning and faithful audiences for stories that break from the norm of what mainstream Hollywood churns out. The $7 million “Imagine” ended up grossing $83.4 million at the domestic box office. That was a shock to the industry but not to faithful audiences, who have been supporting such films for years.
While the genre is in a better place than it’s been in a long time, there’s still a long way to go before big studios are convinced to produce these stories and put them in the right hands.
One of the groups partly responsible for the success of faith-friendly movies in recent years is Ribbow Media Group, which has handled the digital marketing for hit movies like “I Can Only Imagine,” “Hacksaw Ridge” and “War Room.”
Founded in 2013 by Ash Greyson, the company continues to break the mold and grow as a leader in the entertainment industry.
LifeZette talked with Greyson about the ever-evolving standing of faith pictures in Hollywood and his company’s role in that standing.
Question: Ribbow Media Group has been involved with some very successful projects, including “I Can Only Imagine,” “God’s Not Dead” and “2016: Obama’s America.” These are incredibly successful movies, which all appeal to an American audience one could argue mainstream Hollywood largely ignores. What do you attribute the success of these movies to, ultimately?
Answer: These projects all are pointed to an audience that is really underserved by Hollywood. Another thing worth noting: These movies were all marketed by external teams with specific expertise in the faith space.
Related: Sorbo: Being Christian Conservative in Hollywood Can Be a Career ‘Death Sentence’
Q: How do you get this content to large numbers of people without the support of major studios?
A: We use data to identify who may be interested in these movies, and Facebook is where we start. We don’t have access to the same types of budgets as Hollywood, so we have to be great stewards, not only of money but of data. On “I Can Only Imagine,” 86 percent of the people who watched the movie in theaters saw a trailer or advertisement online.
Q: As someone with experience in faith-based art, where do you think faith-based artists stand today? Is there still a huge uphill battle for them in finding support — or is there enough innovation today that it’s easier to skip the gatekeepers altogether and get your content out there?
A: This is where we have to be careful. We have to begin giving people what they need and not just what they want. As a parent of seven kids under 12, I know they will eat chicken nuggets and chocolate cake for every meal — but I have to find a way to introduce them to new things that they will also love.
I think that’s where we are in faith-based art; we know what people like and will pay for, but we have to get some other things in front of them. We have to stop focusing on emulating Hollywood and start creating art that challenges Hollywood. We have started that, but we have a long way to go.
Related: Why the Biblical Story of Samson Is Being Told Again on the Big Screen
Q: In regard to the film industry, where do you see faith-based and faith-friendly movies going? How does the landscape look 10 years from now?
A: I think you’re going to see a particular focus from the Netflixes of the world to create family entertainment. We are fracturing entertainment to the point that there are times when the nine people in my house may be watching five different things. That’s not good for humanity or for the brands.
I think you’re going to see a return to family serial programming like the old radio shows and early situation comedies. That space is going to explode. Disney is making a big bet on that by splitting away from Netflix.
As far as the faith-specific industry, I think it’s going to split into bigger Hollywood films made with more empathy toward the audience by directors who know the market and content that is more affirming and “preaching to the choir” — which will live online at places like PureFlix.com. I think epic biblical blockbusters are going to make a comeback; they just have to be done right.
Related: David A.R. White on New ‘God’s Not Dead’: ‘This Was a Tough One’
Q: Is it easier or harder to find support and reach audiences today? Do you see major studios supporting this content more? Or no?
A: As one Hollywood executive told me when I asked how he, as a blue-state guy, felt about making a red state movie: “Kid … I don’t see red, I don’t see blue … I only see green.”
The faith market is massive, and everyone in Hollywood is listening. Sony has a division, Affirm Films, specifically set up to serve this audience. I think you’re going to see other studios follow their lead.
Related: Exclusive: Rutger Hauer on His New Biblical Film and Most Iconic Role
Q: Any other thoughts you’d like to add?
A: On a personal level, I’d love to see the rise of more female and African-American directors in faith films. That’s a huge part of the audience and we are not representing them as well as we should.
So much of our efforts in marketing is targeting the pastors who are largely older, white males, while the audience for these movies tends to be overindexed for minorities and females. Who will make the faith-based version of “Girls Trip“?
Here’s more information on Ribbow Media Group.
PopZette editor Zachary Leeman can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter.
(photo credit, homepage and article images: Ribbow Media Group)
Join the Discussion
COMMENTS POLICY: We have no tolerance for messages of violence, racism, vulgarity, obscenity or other such discourteous behavior. Thank you for contributing to a respectful and useful online dialogue.