SW News: The crowdfunding concept for a biblical drama that will be shown in theaters shortly before Easter is smashing records for its success. The March 31 release of "His Only Son" is promoted as a "Biblically accurate" and "authentic" adaptation of the narrative of Abraham and Isaac.
Distributor Angel Studios made the bold assertion, "This is the first time in entertainment history that the entertainment industry has sponsored a theatrical release."
Research commissioned by Angel Studios' co-founding brothers, Neal and Jordan Harmon, throughout the years supports their claim that consumers have an insatiable need for value-driven entertainment.
According to Neal Harmon, "we've worked hard to engage families and let them know they have a home at Angel" because "we know they are hungry for the type of narratives Angel has to provide."
Neal claims that using crowdfunding may help identify and promote positive cultural traits. He said, "We provide an effective mechanism for those filmmakers who wish to reveal the world."
Fox News reported filmmaker David Helling as saying that the story of God asking Abraham to sacrifice his son as a burnt offering is one of the most "controversial" in the Bible and that it took five years to develop the film based on the chapter. Former U.S. Marine Helling, who served in the Iraqi deserts, conceived the idea for the film because he wanted to replicate biblical events.
Angel Studios announced that the thousands of donors who sponsored the project gave it a resounding thumbs up, and this picture is the climax of three magnificent seasons of "The Chosen".
Nicolas Mouawad (of Lebanese cinema and television fame) portrays Abraham in "His Only Son." The film also has performances by Sara Seyed (as Sarah), Scot Cooper (as John), Daniel da Silva (as Isaac), Ottavio Taddei (as Jacob), and Alexandria Lior (as Mary).