US media giant chases after Christian film dollars
-23/09/06
The US media giant Fox ha
US media giant chases after Christian film dollars
-23/09/06
The US media giant Fox has announced plans to target the growing market of Christian movie-goers by establishing a religious-oriented label that will distribute DVD’s and market a limited number of releases for film theatres – writes Chris Herlinger for Ecumenical News International.
“We’re in the business of entertainment, not proselytising,” Jeff Yordy, a Fox vice-president, said in a statement. Underlining that point, several current Fox films now in US movie theatres, such as ëThe Devil Wears Pradaí and ëMy Super Ex-Girlfriendí, are comedies with the references to sex and other adult themes.
Still, Yordy said, “We simply recognised that there was a hugely under-served audience and seized the opportunity to provide them with high-quality entertainment that reflects their values.” He added: “As a result, we’ve seen explosive growth in this marketplace over the past few years, which only proves to us that we’re successfully tapping into our core constituency.”
The creation of the FoxFaith branded distribution label was announced on 20 September 2006 by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment saying it would distribute “filmed entertainment with a clear Christian message or based on material by a Christian author”.
Following the success of such blockbusters as Mel Gibson’s ëThe Passion of the Christ,í the Fox announcement is being seen as the clearest indication yet that Hollywood has noted the existence of a considerable market both within the United States and globally for Christian-themed entertainment.
The London-based Guardian newspaper reported that Gibson’s film about Jesus has grossed US2 million globally since its 2004 release, while ëThe Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobeí, based on the writings of Christian writer C. S. Lewis, garnered 745 million US dollars.
Fox has distributed filmed products to a national chain of Christian booksellers for several years and has already sold some 30 million religious-themed DVDs, the studio said.
With acknowledgements to ENI. Ecumenical News International is jointly sponsored by the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and the Conference of European Churches.
US media giant chases after Christian film dollars
-23/09/06
The US media giant Fox has announced plans to target the growing market of Christian movie-goers by establishing a religious-oriented label that will distribute DVD’s and market a limited number of releases for film theatres – writes Chris Herlinger for Ecumenical News International.
“We’re in the business of entertainment, not proselytising,” Jeff Yordy, a Fox vice-president, said in a statement. Underlining that point, several current Fox films now in US movie theatres, such as ëThe Devil Wears Pradaí and ëMy Super Ex-Girlfriendí, are comedies with the references to sex and other adult themes.
Still, Yordy said, “We simply recognised that there was a hugely under-served audience and seized the opportunity to provide them with high-quality entertainment that reflects their values.” He added: “As a result, we’ve seen explosive growth in this marketplace over the past few years, which only proves to us that we’re successfully tapping into our core constituency.”
The creation of the FoxFaith branded distribution label was announced on 20 September 2006 by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment saying it would distribute “filmed entertainment with a clear Christian message or based on material by a Christian author”.
Following the success of such blockbusters as Mel Gibson’s ëThe Passion of the Christ,í the Fox announcement is being seen as the clearest indication yet that Hollywood has noted the existence of a considerable market both within the United States and globally for Christian-themed entertainment.
The London-based Guardian newspaper reported that Gibson’s film about Jesus has grossed US2 million globally since its 2004 release, while ëThe Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobeí, based on the writings of Christian writer C. S. Lewis, garnered 745 million US dollars.
Fox has distributed filmed products to a national chain of Christian booksellers for several years and has already sold some 30 million religious-themed DVDs, the studio said.
With acknowledgements to ENI. Ecumenical News International is jointly sponsored by the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and the Conference of European Churches.