Originally published in The Christian Post
Nearly R1.4 billion ($75 million) has been raised by entertainment industry insiders to launch a new studio to create movie, television and streaming content tailored for a “faith and values-oriented audience”.
Following up on the success of popular faith-based productions in recent years, The WONDER Project seeks to “create a trusted brand that serves the faith and values audience globally with movies and TV shows they didn’t know were possible”.
Founded by film producer Jon Erwin (Jesus Revolution), the project will be overseen by former Netflix and YouTube executive Kelly Merryman Hoogstraten. Dallas Jenkins, creator of the popular series The Chosen, will serve as an advisor and shareholder and will produce some of the project’s content.
“We will [be] giving the creatives dedicated to this audience (including myself) a level of freedom and resources they’ve never had before,” Erwin said in a statement. “This level of talent combined with the power of the stories we are developing is really inspiring! I can’t wait for the audience to experience the things we are working on.”
The project is made possible through seed and Series A funding from Sovereign’s Capital, Lionsgate, Powerhouse Capital, United Talent Agency and Jason Blum, CEO of Blumhouse Productions.
With headquarters located in Los Angeles and Austin, Texas, Hoogstraten said the WONDER Project seeks to “flood the world with hope,” noting that “entertainment sits upstream from culture.”
“Today, the world needs a way to find common ground again,” she said.
“I am convinced we can make a difference by telling stories that restore hope in things worth believing in — family, community, God, and America. We will do this at scale for a global audience that seeks faith and values-driven entertainment. And we will give the audience a brand they can call their own.”
In an interview with Variety, Erwin said he and his wife are “part of the audience” that the WONDER Project hopes to service.
“My wife and I have four kids,” he said. “There’s an audience that I serve with the content that we make. I need more of this in my home.”
While Erwin is used to producing on lower budgets, he said having financial aid from partners like Blum and Lionsgate will contribute to better-quality films and TV production.
The company seeks to sell its productions to mainstream networks, streamers and film distributors while creating its own distribution and streaming options.
“What if we could dream a little bigger? What if we could build a studio of our own that empowers creatives in this space with a level of freedom and resources they haven’t had before,” Erwin told Variety.
“We want to be partners with studios and streamers and anybody who wants to reach this audience in profound new ways. But we want to do it while building something that is independent and can last.”
Hoogstraten, who has experience in steering content partnerships for YouTube and content acquisition for Netflix, said that there is a need for “a scaled solution for the heartland, for the audience that goes to school with my kids.”
Considering that “Jesus Revolution” made a record $52 million at the box office, Erwin says big Hollywood studios “are realizing the audience is enormous and underserved.”
“They’re also realizing there’s an inherent gap between their knowledge of content and their knowledge of this audience,” Erwin said. “They don’t know how to seize that opportunity. We’re going to build a bridge between those two worlds.”
In a statement, Blum touted the “power of an affinity audience that is underserved with programming options.”
“I look forward to the many high-quality stories this talented team will curate and produce for the faith and values-based audience across the globe over the coming years,” he said.
Powerhouse Capital’s Managing Partner Ian Doody agreed, saying that the WONDER Project is “tapping into a massive, global need.”
“The faith and values audience is global, and the quality shows being developed will meet the long-standing and growing consumer demand,” Doody said.
WONDER Project has roughly 12 writers working on creating scripts in the earlier stages, Variety notes. The team is searching for other like-minded creators to help produce more faith-based content.
Jenkins said filmmakers often have difficulty getting adequate funds to support their production and marketing expenses.
“I’m so thrilled there’s a place for people like me who can have the creative freedom and a connection to the audience,” he said.
Erwin told Variety that the production company hopes to create faith-based content that can depict nearly any genre or format. He said this would most likely not include too many reiterations of Scripture references or redundant sermons mentioned in the lines of the scripts.
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