Recent off success with their vacation household comedy The Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever, Lionsgate and the faith-based Kingdom Story Firm have agreed to resume their three-year first-look deal, extending the studios’ whole collaboration to 10 years.
The deal places a capstone on Kingdom Story Firm’s greatest slate but, which comprised three movies with Lionsgate in 2024: Bizarre Angels, starring Hilary Swank and Alan Ritchson; Unsung Hero, from Grammy-winning faith-based artist Joel Smallbone; and the aforementioned Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever, which exceeded monitoring by opening with $11.1 million on the home field workplace this previous weekend ($12.2 M/4-day) and is positioned to proceed taking part in by the vacation interval.Â
Dallas Jenkins (of The Chosen fame) directed the latter movie, starring Judy Greer and Pete Holmes, which adapts the youngsters’s e-book by Barbara Robinson. Every of the Kingdom-developed and produced movies launched this 12 months is anticipated to show a revenue for the studio.
Acknowledged Kevin Downes, co-founder and chief government officer of Kingdom Story Firm, “2024 has been Kingdom Story Firm’s greatest 12 months ever with a slate of three movies. I couldn’t be extra happy with the unbelievable crew of people that made it potential — from the filmmakers and forged to our government crew, advertising crew, and particularly our companions at Lionsgate, who’ve all the time championed our movies and the viewers they serve. Our objective is to share tales that ignite a rush of hope, and we’re proud that every of our movies this 12 months has not solely entertained but in addition sparked conversations about religion and resilience when wanted greater than ever.”
Andrew Erwin, co-founder and chief artistic officer of Kingdom Story Firm, noticed, “The ability of redemptive storytelling continues to seek out its voice. At Kingdom Story Firm, we’re honored to be part of increasing the standard of movies for the religion viewers that we love. Seeing that development lengthen into the mainstream is a dream come true.”
Added Lionsgate Movement Image Group Chair Adam Fogelson, “Over the previous decade, Kingdom movies have established a singular skill to attach with their audiences within the religion neighborhood and past by top quality storytelling and distinctive productions, like their vacation hit The Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever. We’re proud to proceed to collaborate with Kevin, Andy, Brandon and all the crew and thrilled that we’re their artistic house.”
Kingstone Story Firm additionally introduced right now that Brandon Gregory, their President and COO of greater than 5 years, has been promoted to Associate.
On the appointment, chairman/accomplice Tony Younger stated, “Brandon brings a singular mixture of expertise: a rigorous enterprise sense that retains the corporate on monitor, a deep love of films that makes leisure the one enterprise for him, and a fierce dedication to the mission behind the flicks we make at this firm. Maybe the one factor as vital as what we do is who we work with, and this promotion ensures that we’ll be working with Brandon for a few years to come back.”
Based in 2019 by brothers Jon and Andrew Erwin, Kevin Downes, and Tony Younger, Kingdom Story Firm got here collectively following the success of the Erwins’ I Can Solely Think about, which Lionsgate launched to a worldwide gross of over $86 million. The corporate’s movie portfolio additionally consists of titles like I Nonetheless Imagine (in regards to the Christian singer Jeremy Camp), American Underdog (the story of NFL star Kurt Warner), and Jesus Revolution, amongst others. On Kingdom’s slate for subsequent 12 months are a pair of dramas starring Zachary Levi: The Unbreakable Boy (Lionsgate) and Sarah’s Oil (Amazon MGM Studios)
Along with The Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever, Lionsgate is coming off the discharge of Cillian Murphy’s Small Issues Like These, which hit theaters on November 8. The studio’s subsequent huge movie developing for launch is Gerard Butler’s Den of Thieves 2: Pantera on January 10.
