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Tuesday, March 13, 2007
AMAZING GRACE Surpasses $10 Million Milestone at the Box Office
Inspirational Tale Moves Audiences
Grace Hill Media
Tara Shaffer
(818) 762-0000
tshaffer@gracehillmedia.com
March 13, 2007 – AMAZING GRACE www.amazinggracemovie.com, Michael Apted’s inspirational film about the true story behind the fight to abolish the British slave trade, hit an important box office milestone over the weekend by passing the $10 million mark in gross receipts.
Samuel Goldwyn Films and Roadside Attractions have responded to public demand and expanded the Bristol Bay Productions release to over 1,000 screens this past weekend, grossing a total of $11.4 million to date. The increase in screen count helped push the film back into the top ten grossing films for the weekend in its third week in release. AMAZING GRACE opened on 791 screens nationwide on February 23, 2007 and grossed $4 million its first weekend, with a $5,442-per-screen average that matched and surpassed the top releases, landing it in the top ten along with films on well over 3,000 screens. A plan is in place to bring the total number of screens up to 1,500 in the coming weeks.
From acclaimed director Michael Apted (49 UP, HBO’s ROME, COAL MINER’S DAUGHTER), AMAZING GRACE, tells the inspiring story of how one man’s passion and perseverance changed the world. Based on the true life story of William Wilberforce played by Ioan Gruffudd (FANTASTIC FOUR and its sequel FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER), a leader of the British abolition movement, the film chronicles his epic struggle to pass a law to end the slave trade in the late 18th Century. Along the way, Wilberforce meets intense opposition from members of Parliament who feel the slave trade is tied to the stability of the British Empire. Several friends, including Wilberforce’s minister, John Newton, played by Albert Finney (OCEAN’S TWELVE, ERIN BROCKOVICH), a reformed slave ship captain who penned the beloved hymn “Amazing Grace,” urge him to see the cause through.
From an original screenplay by Academy Award® nominee Steven Knight (DIRTY PRETTY THINGS), the film boasts a tremendous ensemble cast including Romola Garai (ATONEMENT, VANITY FAIR), Michael Gambon (HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN), Benedict Cumberbatch (STARTER FOR 10), Rufus Sewell (THE ILLUSIONIST), Ciarán Hinds (HBO’s ROME, MIAMI VICE), Toby Jones (INFAMOUS) and world-music sensation Youssou N’Dour. Executive Producer is Jeanney Kim, with Mark Cooper as co-producer. Producers on the film are Terrence Malick and Ed Pressman under their Sunflower Productions banner, Patricia Heaton and David Hunt for FourBoys Films, and Ken Wales.
Following a massive and successful grassroots outreach campaign by Bristol Bay Productions to build a coalition of organizations and leaders, extremely positive exit polls have shown that of the more than 2 million people who have seen the film, some 40% said they were encouraged to see the film at church. February 18, 2007 was designated as “Amazing Grace Sunday.” Through the work of faith organizations, approximately 6,000 churches signed up online www.amazinggracesunday.com to participate in a variety of activities, most commonly pledging to sing the famous hymn at services that day.
The grassroots campaign for the film also included direct outreach to the home school community, outreach to major political leaders- including private screenings in the U.S. Senate, the White House, and state capitols throughout the U.S., as well as outreach to African American leadership during February’s Black History Month celebrations. Educational and faith resource guides were also made available for use in classrooms and sermons.
One of the key components of the outreach campaign was the creation of The Amazing Change www.theamazingchange.com campaign to end modern day slavery. The Amazing Change involved more than 75 organizations around the country who are dedicated to ending modern day slavery including human trafficking, child sexual slavery, and forced labor practices and improving the world in other ways. Participating organizations including International Justice Mission, Child Voice International, Rugmark and Free the Slaves represent a diverse group of faith-based and secular organizations focused on ending human slavery. The Amazing Change website features a virtual petition to end slavery with more than 100,000 signatures to date. Many other organizations working on humanitarian, environmental and other issues that provide for the common good have also joined the campaign including the Humane Society, World Vision and Prison Fellowship.
In addition to the film, an “inspired by” AMAZING GRACE soundtrack was released in February by Sparrow and EMI Records featuring a new version of the favorite hymn by Christian music star Chris Tomlin.
Several books have also been published to co-inside with the film’s release and The Amazing Change campaign. HarperSanFrancisco released two books, Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery, by Eric Metaxas and Not For Sale: The Return of the Global Slave Trade—And How We Can Fight It by David Batstone, on February 6, 2007. Also released in February was Be The Change: Your Guide to Freeing Slaves and Changing the World by 15-year old abolitionist Zach Hunter published by Zondervan.
ABOUT ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS
Roadside Attractions is an independent film distribution company committed to championing films that entertain, delight, and enlighten audiences of all kinds. The company works with filmmakers to devise innovative marketing strategies that encourage audiences to see films that are not typical studio fare.
ABOUT SAMUEL GOLDWYN FILMS
Samuel Goldwyn Films is a major, independently owned and operated motion-picture company. The company develops, produces, and distributes innovative feature films and documentaries, working with world renowned and emerging writers and filmmakers. Goldwyn is consistently committed to filmed entertainment offering original voices in uniquely told stories.
ABOUT BRISTOL BAY PRODUCTIONS
Bristol Bay Productions finances and produces feature films in all genres—dramas, comedies, thrillers and action adventure—that tell uplifting stories appropriate for audiences of all ages. Bristol Bay’s films come from a number of sources: popular books that have engaged millions, as well as drawing upon the lives of influential people, timeless heroes, themes and events that inspire us all. Because of their broad appeal, Bristol Bay’s films are rated G, PG and PG-13.
*****
About Religion Press Release Services
Religion Press Release Services distributes press releases, press advisories, photos and other stories on behalf of religious organizations, denominational offices, think tanks, watchdog groups, advocacy groups, coalitions, foundations, colleges, universities, seminaries, publishers and others.
The organizations and/or individuals who submit materials for distribution by Religion Press Release Services are solely responsible for the facts in and accuracy of their materials. Religion Press Release Services will correct any errors brought to its attention.
Contact Us
To distribute press releases through Religion Press Release Services, contact Claudia Sans at csans@religionnews.com or 202-383-7870. For more information check out our PDF brochure.
Religion News Service, 1101 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036 (202) 463-8777
Grace Hill Media
Tara Shaffer
(818) 762-0000
tshaffer@gracehillmedia.com
March 13, 2007 – AMAZING GRACE www.amazinggracemovie.com, Michael Apted’s inspirational film about the true story behind the fight to abolish the British slave trade, hit an important box office milestone over the weekend by passing the $10 million mark in gross receipts.
Samuel Goldwyn Films and Roadside Attractions have responded to public demand and expanded the Bristol Bay Productions release to over 1,000 screens this past weekend, grossing a total of $11.4 million to date. The increase in screen count helped push the film back into the top ten grossing films for the weekend in its third week in release. AMAZING GRACE opened on 791 screens nationwide on February 23, 2007 and grossed $4 million its first weekend, with a $5,442-per-screen average that matched and surpassed the top releases, landing it in the top ten along with films on well over 3,000 screens. A plan is in place to bring the total number of screens up to 1,500 in the coming weeks.
From acclaimed director Michael Apted (49 UP, HBO’s ROME, COAL MINER’S DAUGHTER), AMAZING GRACE, tells the inspiring story of how one man’s passion and perseverance changed the world. Based on the true life story of William Wilberforce played by Ioan Gruffudd (FANTASTIC FOUR and its sequel FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER), a leader of the British abolition movement, the film chronicles his epic struggle to pass a law to end the slave trade in the late 18th Century. Along the way, Wilberforce meets intense opposition from members of Parliament who feel the slave trade is tied to the stability of the British Empire. Several friends, including Wilberforce’s minister, John Newton, played by Albert Finney (OCEAN’S TWELVE, ERIN BROCKOVICH), a reformed slave ship captain who penned the beloved hymn “Amazing Grace,” urge him to see the cause through.
From an original screenplay by Academy Award® nominee Steven Knight (DIRTY PRETTY THINGS), the film boasts a tremendous ensemble cast including Romola Garai (ATONEMENT, VANITY FAIR), Michael Gambon (HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN), Benedict Cumberbatch (STARTER FOR 10), Rufus Sewell (THE ILLUSIONIST), Ciarán Hinds (HBO’s ROME, MIAMI VICE), Toby Jones (INFAMOUS) and world-music sensation Youssou N’Dour. Executive Producer is Jeanney Kim, with Mark Cooper as co-producer. Producers on the film are Terrence Malick and Ed Pressman under their Sunflower Productions banner, Patricia Heaton and David Hunt for FourBoys Films, and Ken Wales.
Following a massive and successful grassroots outreach campaign by Bristol Bay Productions to build a coalition of organizations and leaders, extremely positive exit polls have shown that of the more than 2 million people who have seen the film, some 40% said they were encouraged to see the film at church. February 18, 2007 was designated as “Amazing Grace Sunday.” Through the work of faith organizations, approximately 6,000 churches signed up online www.amazinggracesunday.com to participate in a variety of activities, most commonly pledging to sing the famous hymn at services that day.
The grassroots campaign for the film also included direct outreach to the home school community, outreach to major political leaders- including private screenings in the U.S. Senate, the White House, and state capitols throughout the U.S., as well as outreach to African American leadership during February’s Black History Month celebrations. Educational and faith resource guides were also made available for use in classrooms and sermons.
One of the key components of the outreach campaign was the creation of The Amazing Change www.theamazingchange.com campaign to end modern day slavery. The Amazing Change involved more than 75 organizations around the country who are dedicated to ending modern day slavery including human trafficking, child sexual slavery, and forced labor practices and improving the world in other ways. Participating organizations including International Justice Mission, Child Voice International, Rugmark and Free the Slaves represent a diverse group of faith-based and secular organizations focused on ending human slavery. The Amazing Change website features a virtual petition to end slavery with more than 100,000 signatures to date. Many other organizations working on humanitarian, environmental and other issues that provide for the common good have also joined the campaign including the Humane Society, World Vision and Prison Fellowship.
In addition to the film, an “inspired by” AMAZING GRACE soundtrack was released in February by Sparrow and EMI Records featuring a new version of the favorite hymn by Christian music star Chris Tomlin.
Several books have also been published to co-inside with the film’s release and The Amazing Change campaign. HarperSanFrancisco released two books, Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery, by Eric Metaxas and Not For Sale: The Return of the Global Slave Trade—And How We Can Fight It by David Batstone, on February 6, 2007. Also released in February was Be The Change: Your Guide to Freeing Slaves and Changing the World by 15-year old abolitionist Zach Hunter published by Zondervan.
ABOUT ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS
Roadside Attractions is an independent film distribution company committed to championing films that entertain, delight, and enlighten audiences of all kinds. The company works with filmmakers to devise innovative marketing strategies that encourage audiences to see films that are not typical studio fare.
ABOUT SAMUEL GOLDWYN FILMS
Samuel Goldwyn Films is a major, independently owned and operated motion-picture company. The company develops, produces, and distributes innovative feature films and documentaries, working with world renowned and emerging writers and filmmakers. Goldwyn is consistently committed to filmed entertainment offering original voices in uniquely told stories.
ABOUT BRISTOL BAY PRODUCTIONS
Bristol Bay Productions finances and produces feature films in all genres—dramas, comedies, thrillers and action adventure—that tell uplifting stories appropriate for audiences of all ages. Bristol Bay’s films come from a number of sources: popular books that have engaged millions, as well as drawing upon the lives of influential people, timeless heroes, themes and events that inspire us all. Because of their broad appeal, Bristol Bay’s films are rated G, PG and PG-13.
*****
About Religion Press Release Services
Religion Press Release Services distributes press releases, press advisories, photos and other stories on behalf of religious organizations, denominational offices, think tanks, watchdog groups, advocacy groups, coalitions, foundations, colleges, universities, seminaries, publishers and others.
The organizations and/or individuals who submit materials for distribution by Religion Press Release Services are solely responsible for the facts in and accuracy of their materials. Religion Press Release Services will correct any errors brought to its attention.
Contact Us
To distribute press releases through Religion Press Release Services, contact Claudia Sans at csans@religionnews.com or 202-383-7870. For more information check out our PDF brochure.
Religion News Service, 1101 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036 (202) 463-8777
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About Religion Press Release ServicesReligion Press Release Services distributes press releases, press advisories, photos and other stories on behalf of religious organizations, denominational offices, think tanks, watchdog groups, advocacy groups, coalitions, foundations, colleges, universities, seminaries, publishers and others. The organizations and/or individuals who submit materials for distribution by Religion Press Release Services are solely responsible for the facts in and accuracy of their materials. Religion Press Release Services will correct any errors brought to its attention.
Contact Us
To distribute press releases through Religion Press Release Services, contact Claudia Sans at csans@religionnews.com or 202-383-7870. For more information check out our PDF brochure.
Religion News Service, 1101 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036 (202) 463-8777
