Biblical box office: How productions like The Chosen are bringing Christianity to a screen near you [Video]

Last weekend was something of a Sunday school special for the box office.

In a surprise show of strength, the Dickens adaptation King of Kings, telling the story of Jesus Christ’s life and crucifixion, exploded with a $19-million US debut. For an animated movie in April, this was surprising — given the fact it was a biblical blockbuster, even more so.

Dreamworks’ The Prince of Egypt set the opening-weekend high water-mark for a faith-based animated film back in 1998. But in terms of scriptural media, the success of King of Kings is far from a one-off.

The recent fifth season of The Chosen also outperformed expectations. Plus, the Christian series saw its first three parts premiere in theatres to a combined total of more than $36 million US, helping cement religious programming as an appetizing genre for studios and audiences alike.

“People are hungry for something. They’re hungry for change. They’re hungry for positive. They’re hungry for light,” explained The Chosen…