How faith-based entertainment has made a Hollywood comeback

Hollywood appears to have found its faith, with a surge of religious-themed productions featuring prominent actors such as Josh O’Connor, Keanu Reeves and Elizabeth Olsen in upcoming roles.

This trend extends beyond major studio productions and independent features, encompassing a significant rise in confessional films and television series that evangelize or depict specific faiths, predominantly Christianity, which have resonated strongly with viewers.

Examples range from Angel Studios’ animated biblical musical, David, which has already garnered over $14 million in theatrical pre-sale tickets ahead of its release this Friday, to Martin Scorsese’s docudrama The Saints. While episodes from Season 2 are still being released, the latter’s debut season on Fox Nation proved to be the platform’s most-watched series last year.

Traci Blackwell, head of targeted content for Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, affirmed this shift at a recent Variety event, declaring: "There has been a revival, a revolution of sorts, of spirituality and faith content." Amazon itself has invested heavily, premiering its biblical drama House of David and securing exclusive U.S. streaming rights for The Chosen, a hugely popular series depicting the life of Jesus.