Motion picture audiences across the country have embraced the latest faith-based hit from Sony Pictures Entertainment’s AFFIRM label. Risen, the story of a Roman tribune’s investigation to prove Christ's resurrection a hoax, emerged as the weekend’s No. 1 new movie and the fourth-highest opening of all time for a faith-based film. The movie also scored an A- CinemaScore, measuring movie appeal among theater goers.

Risen’s three-day box office cume of $11.8 million on 2,915 screens signals another win for AFFIRM. Sony Pictures now claims four of the top six faith-based film opening weekends of all time, five of the top seven faith-based movies in the last five years and five of the top-10-grossing films in the genre in industry history.

The success of Risen follows on from the breakthrough hit War Room, which Sony Pictures and AFFIRM released last summer. That film opened to $11.3 million and went on to take in $67.8 million at the domestic box office, before beginning a successful run in home entertainment.

Rory Bruer, Sony Pictures’ president of worldwide distribution, commented on AFFIRM’s success.

“This is a genre that we have embraced as a part of our studio’s DNA, and the results speak for themselves,” Bruer said. “No major studio has had more success creating films to serve faith-based audiences than Sony Pictures. Working together with our dedicated faith-based label, AFFIRM Films, we will continue to lead the charge in creating films that resonate with an audience that has a huge appetite for quality faith- and family-oriented content.”

Bruer and Rich Peluso, senior vice president of AFFIRM, expect audience momentum to continue through the four weekends leading to Easter.

From international media to blogs to Twitter, filmgoers are praising Risen. Best-selling author Anna Lamott tweeted: “I think I would have loved Risen even if I didn't love Jesus. Ancient Jerusalem for an hour & 45, + the greatest story of Love & transformation.”

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