Tinseltown Getting Religion

The Passion of the Christ took Hollywood and the world by storm. While the elites ignored it during Oscar season, no one could ignore the film's box office success. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe may ride on the Passion's coattails. Could this become a trend in Tinseltown?

CNS has the story here.

The Dec. 9 release of "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," the potential Christmas blockbuster based on a novel by Christian writer C.S. Lewis, may signal Hollywood is focusing more on audiences for whom religion is important.

David DiCerto, a movie reviewer for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said he has noticed a greater number of movies being targeted toward Christian audiences.

This can be seen as "an economic byproduct of the success of 'The Passion of the Christ,'" he said.

With Mel Gibson's film grossing more than $400 million in worldwide box office proceeds, according to an Associated Press report, Christian audiences are establishing themselves as a lucrative market for Hollywood producers. Grass-roots evangelical campaigns are starting to grow around religious-themed movies being released.

In October, Stonebriar Community Church in Plano hosted about 300 moviegoers excited to get a sneak peek of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." Attendees were selected as local faith leaders. The event was one of 140 held across the United States by Motive Entertainment, which also conducted similar events for the "The Passion."

The event at Stonebriar was billed as an "exclusive experience for leaders of faith in the community." It was attended by Michael Flaherty, president of Walden Media, the Narnia film production company, and Doug Gresham, co-producer of the film and stepson of Lewis.

For Flaherty and Walden Media, attending the outreach-oriented sneak peek was just one part of promoting the movie.

"We're willing to talk to almost all audiences that want to hear about the movies we make," he told the Texas Catholic, newspaper of the Diocese of Dallas. "People seem to be interested that we're going to churches to promote this movie, but we're also going to schools, libraries, Boy Scout and Girl Scout groups. We're going everywhere."

(snip)

"We're interested in telling great stories and being true to the original themes of the author," said Flaherty. "Many times these great stories we want to tell will have elements of faith in them, and we don't shy away from that. If people interpret the original themes of the book to have elements of faith in them, then they will probably see those same themes in the movie."

Some say the story is an allegory in which the lion Aslan represents Jesus Christ, because the lion dies and is resurrected in the story. The White Witch represents evil. Many other Christian lessons and stories develop throughout the four children's journey.

With such strong faith-based themes, it seems natural for a movie such as "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" to be aimed at Christian audiences. Depending on its success, a greater number of movies may be released with similar elements.

DiCerto could not attest to the fact that more movies are coming out with Christian themes, but "keep in mind," he said, "(Hollywood producers) are going to be open to any audience that can make them money. If it helps sell tickets, moviemakers are going to emphasize Christian elements in movies."(emphasis mine)

Ah, the delicious humor of the Lord: He uses the foilables of the Enemy's own unwitting agents to co-opt their agenda in favor of the Truth! The Cha-ching! factor has convinced Hollywood bigwigs that Christians actually earn and spend money. They'll spend it on films that they like. And, what a surprise, they'll like smart and savvy films that explore themes that honor their values. Wow! What a concept! Sell a film to an audience that has an interest in it! Perish the thought!

Expect more films that honor Christian principles to make it to theaters. Hey, it sells, baby!