Faith-Based Film Rejected Interview Requests From Conservative Media - Then it Bombed
Editor’s Note: Our readers responded strongly to this story when it originally ran; we’re reposting it here in case you missed it.
As a general rule, if you’re selling a product, you should market it to the people who actually want to buy it.
Obvious as that may sound, the marketing team behind the new faith-based film “Ordinary Angels” didn’t seem to get that memo.
The film, starring “Reacher” star Alan Ritchson and Hollywood veteran Hillary Swank, follows the “true story” of a woman who brought a community together to help save a sick young girl, per IMDB.
Generally, the audiences of such films lean heavily Christian and conservative. Yet, the team behind “Ordinary Angels” failed to talk to any Christian-conservative outlets to promote the film.
At least one conservative reporter confirms his interview requests were outright denied.
Christian Toto, the award-winning entertainment journalist behind the site Hollywood in Toto, wrote as much in a recent article.
“Conservative news sites have very strong ties to the faith-based community. On paper, marketers would love to leverage that connection, knowing the stars will be speaking to people eager for stories like ‘Ordinary Angels,'” Toto wrote.
“They still didn’t speak to openly conservative outlets according to Google News searches on the subject. The Christian Post nabbed Swank at the red-carpet premiere for the film, a press opportunity that rarely allows more than one or two questions.”
Toto then noted he had “unsuccessfully” requested interviews with Ritchson for “two large, right-leaning outlets.”
Given its budget, the film’s box office total wasn’t exactly a massive success.
According to Deadline, the film was made for roughly $12 to $13 million.
Therefore, in order to at least break even, it likely needed to make about $30 to $32.5 million (it’s generally accepted that a Hollywood film needs to make 2.5 times its budget to account for marketing and other costs not included).
“Ordinary Angels” didn’t even come close.
According to Box Office Mojo, the film’s opening weekend brought in a measly $6 million.
By the end of its theatrical run, the film had only grossed $12.7 million.
Now, for many faith-based films, that’s not the end of the story. “Ordinary Angles could go on to do quite well in the VOD market.
That said, it may have exited theaters with a hefty profit if only the company behind it had been brave enough to speak with conservatives.
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