Kelsey Grammer's 'Jesus Revolution' becomes Lionsgate's highest grossing film since 2019
'Jesus Revolution' has become the studio's most successful post-pandemic film
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Faith-based film "Jesus Revolution" is continuing to have success at the box office, becoming LionsGate Film's highest grossing film since 2019.
The film starring Kelsey Grammer and "The Chosen"'s Jonathan Roumie has surpassed $40 million in sales at the box office since it opened in late February. It earned third place at the box office its opening weekend, far-exceeding expectations with $15 million in ticket sales.
The film is LionsGate's most successful post-pandemic film, after many movie theaters temporarily shut down or faced strict guidelines during 2020.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The numbers are incredible, especially coming out of a pandemic," producer Kevin Downes told the outlet Christian Headlines. Moviegoers eager for faith films are "not going away," he observed to the Christian outlet.
Kelsey Grammer stars as Pastor Chuck Smith in "Jesus Revolution." (Dan Anderson/Lionsgate)
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The film centers on Pastor Greg Laurie as he meets a hippie street preacher named Lonnie Frisbee, portrayed by Roumie, and the two eventually connect with Grammer's character, Pastor Chuck Smith.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Smith, who died in 2013, was the real-life pastor of Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa and played a role in the spiritual awakening that took place in Southern California in the 1960s and 1970s.
The recent popularity of faith-based entertainment like "Jesus Revolution" show audiences are hungering for films with messages grounded in faith, Pastor Laurie said.
He believes there was a divine hand on how and when this film came to be.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The timing of this [film] is incredible, and I believe God's hand has been on it from the beginning," he said on "Fox & Friends Weekend."
Jonathan Roumie as Lonnie Frisbee and Kelsey Grammer as Chuck Smith in "Jesus Revolution." (Dan Anderson/Lionsgate)
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Reflecting on the film's success, Laurie noted it "seems to be resonating with everyone. Believers and nonbelievers. Young and old…God is still in the business of changing lives."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The movie reflects a cultural moment of "desperation," where people are searching for meaning and hope, the pastor believed.
"What happened to us some 50 years ago can still happen for people today," he said.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News' Nikolas Lanum and Cortney O'Brien contributed to this report.