Popularity of pro-marriage film ‘indicates a broad market’ for faith-based entertainment

After shocking Hollywood by becoming the top independent movie release of 2008, the surprise hit drama Fireproof has made a big splash again, with its DVD release.

Released on video Jan. 27, Fireproof (Provident Films/Provident-Integrity Distribution) had the best first-week results ever in the Christian retail channel, breaking the previous DVD sales record set by Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie (Big Idea/Word Distribution) in 2004, according to Provident Films.

Fireproof—which stars Kirk Cameron as a firefighter who seeks God to rescue his marriage—finished atop the SoundScan Christian Videos list for sales the week ending Feb. 1.

Additionally, the pro-marriage film was ranked No. 2 in DVD sales among mass-market retailers during its first week out. Fireproof also was the fourth-most rented DVD nationwide during the same time period, according to Provident Films.

“We are thrilled with the response both at Christian retail and mass-market retailers,” said Bob Rubin, executive vice president for Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, which distributed the DVD at mass-market retail. “This strong sales performance is especially impressive in light of today’s economic climate and clearly indicates a broad market for faith-based entertainment.”

Fireproof also won this year’s John Templeton Foundation Epiphany Prize for Inspiring Movie. The film received the $100,000 Epiphany Prize for Film during the 17th Annual Movieguide Faith & Values Awards & Report to the Entertainment Industry, held Feb. 12 in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Fireproof has made $33.3 million since it debuted at No. 4 last September with $6.8 million total receipts in just 839 theaters, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com.

“Fireproof had the highest pre-sell of any Christian DVD ever,” Christian Book Distributors President Ray Hendrickson told Christian Retailing. “The Love Dare sales have been excellent.”

The Love Dare (B&H Books/B&H Publishing Group)—a book that was a focal point of the movie and written by the film’s co-producing brothers Stephen and Alex Kendrick—has sold more than a million copies, B&H officials said. Ranked near the top of the New York Times Paperback Advice best-seller list since its release last September, The Love Dare has also been a fixture in the top 10 best-seller lists of CBA and the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association.

Nearly 500 people attended a special DVD release party Jan. 26 at Christian Supply in Spartanburg, S.C., which featured Stephen Kendrick as well as several Fireproof cast members, including Erin Bethea, Ken Bevel, Harris Malcom and Jason McLeod.

Before Fireproof hit theaters last fall, Christian Supply owner Chuck Wallington sent out a personal message in an e-mail, challenging ministry leaders to see the film and then generate support for the movie.

“He’s (Wallington) been a great partner throughout the film, so the guys wanted to make the trip (to Christian Supply) to honor a retailer (who was) working so hard to get the word out about the film,” Monique Sondag, a publicist for Fireproof, told Christian Retailing. 

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