Hollywood Warming to Faith Films' Box Office Successes

Allie Martin

The founder of a marketing company that targets the Christian community says Hollywood executives are noticing that movies with a strong message deliver not only customers but also profits.

Motive Marketing was founded several years ago by Paul Lauer, a public relations veteran of Hollywood. Lauer designed marketing campaigns for The Passion of the Christ and the recently released The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. As a Christian, Lauer says he wants to help show Tinseltown executives that movies with a strong faith message will be well received.

"There's been an incredible amount of talk and discussion — and certainly a lot of discussion in the media — about what happened with The Passion and what the long-term effects are." Lauer shares. "I think we all believe that something amazing happened there that was really God's doing."

And the long-term effects of The Passion, he says, are still a ways off. "We won't see the full impact of what happened with The Passion for years to come, because the average cycle for the creation of a film is at least five years," the PR veteran explains. "Which means whatever impact happened from The Passion will likely not even be showing up for another two [or] three years."

And as a result of the strong box office showings of films geared to the faith community, Lauer contends many Christians in Hollywood are now bolder about their own faith.

"There's been an impression outside Hollywood that it's just full of all of these people who are antagonistic toward faith," he says. And while he acknowledges that "there are some of those," he adds there are "lots of people of faith" in Hollywood.

"And until recently I just think those people never believed that they could wear their faith on their sleeve or that they could really bring their faith into the work that they do," he explains. "Now there's a new boldness to do both."

Motive Marketing has made extensive use of youth groups, churches, and other ministries for advance screenings of faith-based movies. Lauer also managed publicity campaigns for the Tom Hanks movie The Polar Express.

• (This article courtesy of Agape Press.)