Christian Film Facing the Giants Opens Scores Big at the Box Office

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TBN's Acquisition Of 'Holy Land Experience' Theme Park Seeks To Change More Lives

June 9, 2007 ORLANDO -- Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), the world's largest religious broadcaster and America's most-watched faith channel, hopes to change more lives through its addition of the "Holy Land Experience" theme park in Orlando, Fl., to the TBN family. Through the acquisition, TBN will bring an integration of the powerful living recreation of ancient Jerusalem with a cutting edge facility that will be used for television production, dramas, musical concerts, special events and movies.

"This marriage will bring an unprecedented synergy to both ministries and the production that is done there will be seen by a worldwide audience. TBN's involvement made sense, because both ministries are about changing and effecting people's lives. We've been doing that for 34 years," said Paul Crouch, Jr., TBN Vice President of Administration. "We believe this opportunity was heaven sent because it bought TBN an Orlando-based facility to fulfill it's local programming obligations for WGTL CH-52 and it will provide "The Holy Land Experience" with much needed promotion to bring more people to the theme park and Orlando as a whole."

The Holy Land Experience could well be considered Orlando's most inspiring destination as visitors experience a full day of discovery that takes them 2,000 years back in time to the world of the Bible. It brings to life ancient Israel as a unique, thriving world filled with fascinating exhibits and venues. Visitors learn about the Wilderness Tabernacle and the Great Temple; discover the amazing history of the Bible; explore the city of Jerusalem in miniature; see re-enactments of Jesus' ministry, His life, death, and resurrection; and feel the power and passion of our original musical productions.

WGTL TV, Channel 52, has a reach of over four million viewers in the Orlando and Cocoa Beach metropolitan areas with TBN's wide range of innovative faith-based programming. In October of 2006, TBN celebrated the inaugural broadcast of WGTL Ch-52 in Orlando with a dedicatory service attended by TBN founders Paul and Jan Crouch, Pastor Benny Hinn, Singer and Preacher Judy Jacobs hosted by Pastor George Cope and Calvary Assembly in Winter Park, Fl.

The combination of the production facilities and the Holy Land Experience offers Orlando visitors a powerful and unique faith based experience that can be promoted worldwide through the TBN network. The promotional capability can drive visitors to the complex.

"Some of the staff was asking what is going to be the immediate effect here at the park and my answer was 'I'm planning on you having more people coming through the turnstiles this summer,'" said Crouch. "Universal Studios does the same thing. We want the 'Holy Land Experience' to be a faith-based version of that."

About TBN
TBN is the world's largest religious network and America's most watched faith network. Each day TBN offers 24 hours of commercial-free inspirational programming that appeals to people in a wide variety of denominations. Beginning in 1973 as a single UHF station in southern California, TBN now reaches every major continent via 65 satellites and more than 12,500 television and cable affiliates worldwide. In the United States, TBN is available to 92 percent of the total households. Its website receives more than 27 million visitors monthly. For more information on TBN, visit www.tbn.org

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WDC MEDIA NEWS
Christian News and Media Agency

Christian Film Facing the Giants Opens Scores Big at the Box Office

2006-10-03 -- WDC Media News --

(AgapePress) - A movie made on a shoestring budget by a Georgia church ranked 12th at the box office in gross revenues this past weekend. Facing the Giants, a PG-rated film about faith, family, and football, grossed roughly $1.39 million across its debut weekend when it opened on 441 screens across the U.S.

Facing the Giants, released by Destination Films and Samuel Goldwyn Films, tells the story of a beleaguered, can't-seem-to-win-for-losing high school football coach who finds -- and helps his team find -- inspiration from God to fight the giants of fear and defeat. And if its first weekend's receipts are any indication, this stirring football drama is going to have a long, winning season at the box office.

Read AgapePress review of the movie

The congregation of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia, financed Facing the Giants, collectively giving $100,000 for the making of the film, which features an all-volunteer cast. Associate pastor Alex Kendrick, Sherwood Baptist's director of media ministry, not only co-wrote and directed the film, but also stars in the lead role.

Kendrick believes Hollywood is going to take notice of Giants' strong opening weekend. He believes the movie's box office success will send film industry officials the message "that this is the type of entertainment and the type of faith and morals and values that [moviegoers] want to support."

And if that message is received, Kendrick contends, it will allow Sherwood Baptist Church to make more movies in the same vein as Facing the Giants and its earlier feature film (released on DVD), Flywheel. And the same time, he says, this pro-family theatrical film's audience appeal will "encourage the production of more movies like it from others."

The breakout Christian filmmaker says a big opening weekend makes a huge difference to entertainment executives and can help determine what kind of future it has both in theaters and in video rental stores. "When people go and support a movie opening weekend, it kind of gives the producers and the releasing studio an idea of what they like," he says, "and the first two weekends give them an indication of how well a movie's going to do."

Based upon those numbers, Kendrick explains, film industry executives determine how widely to release a film, and how long to keep it in theaters. And a movie's box office performance in its initial weeks can also help film companies decide how far to spread DVD distribution "and even ... how many to make," he says.

Facing the Giants seems to be off to an auspicious start after its promising premiere. Using a per-screen average, only three films in the top ten last weekend had a higher average; and four Hollywood films that played on more than 1,000 screens -- including one that played on more than 2,000 screens -- earned less overall than Kendrick's film.

Boxofficeguru.com, a site that monitors movie openings, took note of the Christian movie, acknowledging its "respectable debut in moderate national release." The website pointed out that, with its estimated $1.4 million gross from only 441 theaters, Facing the Giants came out with a nice $3,150 average; and the film is expected to pick up more theaters in the coming weeks.

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