In the wake of success in Hollywood always come … copycats. Hey, if it worked for those guys, maybe it’ll work for us! It’s a sign of how difficult it is to predict what people will like and what they’ll buy when it comes to entertainment. It’s also a sign of how hard it is to come up with original ideas these days. (See: sequels and spin-offs.)
Now, sometimes, tagalongs can be a good thing. In the Christian movie world right now, the blossoming success of such projects as Facing the Giants, Fireproof and Soul Surfer have inspired countless other small production studios and even churches to give this movie thing a try. And as more and more people try to present Christian truth in movie form, we’ll gradually keep getting better and better movies in the category. (Never mind that Billy Graham’s World Wide Pictures started creating some pretty solid projects as far back as 1953!)
The success of Roma Downey and Mark Burnett’s The Bible miniseries on TV is also sparking a rush toward telling more Bible stories, both on small and large screens. (Just like Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ did in 2004.) Indeed, I saw an email last week for what is being called the first Christian 3-D movie, tentatively titled Genesis 3D.
And then there’s this:
HBO has reportedly announced that its ordered 10 episodes of a new series called The Leftovers, based on a novel of the same name by Tom Perotta. It will focus on what happens on Earth after the Rapture. Is this Left Behind on a premium cable channel? Well, not quite. In this version (which will be overseen by Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof) there’s no rhyme or reason when it comes to who is mysteriously taken. People of other faiths, and even atheists, have been whisked away, while many seemingly sincere Christians find themselves stranded in the chaos that follows.
So it would seem (obvious) that merely showing an interest in spiritual things doesn’t guarantee a quality, theologically accurate product. Keep your eyes open, then, as a new wave of Christian-minded entertainment products washes across your screens.
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