The Heaven is for Real movie opened in theaters on April 16th, and on Easter weekend it crushed Johnny Depp’s new film Trandsendence in box office earnings. Heaven is for Real soared, bringing in $21.5 million from 2, 417 theaters. Depp’s film opened to a rather dismal $11.5 million coming from a total of 3, 455 movie theater locations.
Based on the best-selling book of the same name written by Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent, Heaven is for Real tells the story of little Colton Burpo who says he went to Heaven and came back again during a surgical procedure. Greg Kinnear stars as Colton Burpo’s father in the film. This is the latest in a series of Christian films to earn big at the box office in recent weeks. Noah, starring Russell Crowe, started big. God’s Not Dead, featuring Duck Dynsasty stars Willie and Corie Robertson, did much better than expected in a very limited theater run.
Perhaps part of the film’s initial success stems from the Twitter campaign producers launched which focuses on strong family values.
Don’t miss out on the important reality that Heaven is for Real. See #HeavenIsForRealMovie: http://t.co/rBUJDz5yYD pic.twitter.com/XfheH2dvwN
— Heaven Is For Real (@heavenisforreal) April 19, 2014
Bishop T.D. Jakes of The Potter’s House mega church even recommended the following video about the film, which includes snippets with some of the cast members.
Heaven is for Real made quite a stir when the book was published, with many saying the story was contrived or highly embellished by Colton Burpo’s pastor father Todd Burpo. Producers obviously thought it had enough pull to draw people in to movie theaters, and Easter weekend’s box office numbers proved them right.
Do you have plans to see Heaven is for Real, and if so, did you first read the book? What is drawing you to want to see this new Christian film?
Image via YouTube