'Noah' film to include explanatory text for faith-based consumers on promotional materials

Paramount Studios has agreed to include a message on its promotional materials for its upcoming movie “Noah” that explains the movie’s relationship to the biblical text.

The movie studio and the National Religious Broadcasters released a joint statement announcing the move, and Paramount placed the following text on its website for the movie.

“The film is inspired by the story of Noah. While artistic license has been taken, we believe this story is true to the essence, values, and integrity of a story that is a cornerstone of faith for millions of people worldwide. The Biblical story of Noah can be found in the Book of Genesis.”

Paramount and the group Faith Driven Consumer (FDC) have been at odds over a survey that FDC conducted which showed that 98 percent of Christian consumers would not go see a movie about Noah that was not based on the Bible.

Paramount claimed that the survey did not mention its movie specifically, while FDC argued that the context of the survey made it very obvious that their survey targeted Paramount's film.

FDC founder Chris Stone praised the new language Paramount will be using while promoting “Noah.”

“We thank Paramount for its decision to issue an explanatory message on Noah. Information made available to Faith Driven Consumer gives us a sense that Paramount is taking steps to respect, connect with and reach out to the core faith audience of this film,” Stone said in a written statement. “While many Faith Driven Consumers will likely find valid reason to pause on some elements of the film, we are becoming more hopeful that many other areas will resonate and be compatible with the Bible’s core message.”

Most people first heard of FDC when it created the IStandWithPhil.com movement that played a leading role in Phil Robertson’s return to Duck Dynasty after he was suspended for comments he made about homosexuals. The group is tracking several faith-based films in what its calling the Year of the Bible Movie.

Paramount  has poured an estimated $125 million into the production of “Noah,” casting big names like Emma Watson and Russell Crowe, and trusting their baby to Oscar-nominated director Darren Aronofsky. The film is slated to open March 28.