Hit film director Breakthrough and A miracle from heaven Hollywood is more open to faith-based content than ever before, says Devon Franklin. Breakthroughgenerated $40 million in revenue in 2016. A miracle from heavenearned $61 million; Star (2017) and Burning hot (2023). Movie fans saw him on the big screen Jesus' Revolution (2023) and Woodlawn (2015).
The pandemic has changed perceptions of faith films, he said.
“I think the pandemic has really opened the door for faith films,” Franklin told Crosswalk Headlines. Speaking about the pandemic, Franklin said, “Hollywood has never been so open to faith before, with different companies signing deals with content creators like me and making commitments to produce faith-themed films and TV shows. I think the pandemic has actually had a positive impact on the sector, and I think there are more opportunities from a mainstream perspective than there were before.”
The tragedy of the pandemic has left Americans craving more inspirational content, he explained.
“A lot of the content that worked during and after the pandemic was inspirational content or uplifting content,” Franklin said. “So, Jesus' Revolution and The Sound of Freedomand my film, Flamin' Hotetc. These movies were released after the pandemic. They were made during the pandemic, released after the pandemic, and were hugely successful.
“And then looking at which audiences were consuming content during the pandemic and which audiences were going to theaters after the pandemic, and realizing that religious audiences were strong on both fronts, I think that prompted Hollywood to say, 'Okay, we finally have to lean into this and start focusing on this.'”
This summer, Franklin and Tyler Perry Studios announced a multi-year, multi-project deal with Netflix, with their first film focusing on Ruth and Boaz.
“We're doing a Bible story,” Franklin told Crosswalk Headlines. “We're going to be retelling the story of Ruth and Boaz. R&B… Production will begin in October and the film is expected to be available on Netflix next year.”
Franklin's passion for film began as a child.
“My father died of a heart attack at age 36 when I was 9, so going to church and watching movies became my therapy,” Franklin said. “I really felt that if Hollywood could do that for me, they could do it for other people. That's what seeded my passion to want to be an inspirational storyteller.”
Photo credit: ©Instagram/Devon Franklin
Michael Faust He has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years, and his work has appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, Christian Post, Leaf Chronicle, Toronto Star and Knoxville News Sentinel.
