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Set to hit theaters March 31, "His Only Son" is a biblical drama recounting one of the most controversial moments in the Old Testament when God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac on the mountain of Moriah.
"His Only Son," in partnership with Angel Studios (the studio behind "The Chosen"), crowdfunded more than $1.3 million in just a few days for its Easter theatrical release, setting a standard unlike anything the film industry has ever seen.
"Angel reached another milestone with the first-ever crowdfunding of marketing funds for a theatrical release," Neal Harmon, CEO of Angel Studios said.
"Because Angel's decisions are driven by fans—and crowdfunding for 'His Only Son' reached capacity in 100 hours—we are responding to the demand from the audience by at least tripling the theater count nationwide and throwing our most valuable marketing resources behind the film. The Angel Guild, made up of Angel investors from every show, have rated this film with one of the highest scores we have ever received in our system."
Releasing "His Only Son" just in time for Easter is by design as the connection between Abraham's story and Christ's sacrifice cannot be overlooked.
"Maybe people are thinking, 'Why would we have a story about Abraham right at Easter?'" Jared Geesey, spokesman for Angel Studios, told The Christian Post.
"But the parallels of what he went through and how God asked him to sacrifice Isaac and what we celebrate on Easter with Jesus' sacrifice for us. It's such a powerful bringing to life of seeing Jesus in the Old Testament," Geesey said.
"His Only Son" recounts one of the most controversial moments in the Old Testament—when Abraham was commanded by God to sacrifice his son Isaac on the mountain of Moriah. While traveling to the place of the sacrifice, alongside Isaac and two servants, Abraham is flooded with vivid memories from the years he and Sarah spent longing for the son they were promised—the son he must now lay upon the altar.
The film stars Lebanese film and TV actor Nicolas Mouawad as Abraham, Sara Seyed as Sarah, and Edaan Moskowitz as Isaac.
"His Only Son" is the debut film from creator David Helling, a former U.S. Marine. According to Helling, the journey of this film began over a decade ago in the dire deserts of Iraq.
"While I was a marine in Iraq the Lord got a hold of my heart, drew me to his word, and opened my eyes to the truth of his gospel. From that moment on, my heart cry has been to illustrate scriptures' truth and bring it from the page to the screen, so that others can be drawn to the word as I was," Helling said.
After using the G.I. Bill—a scholarship program for veterans—to fund film school, Helling taught himself to sew costumes, make intricate miniatures, and do visual effects as he crafted biblical short films. These skills took years to perfect and eventually culminated in the making of "His Only Son."
"Once I began writing the script nearly five years ago, I began to experience the darkest, loneliest, most heart-wrenching years of my life—a season that, to a significant degree, continues to this day. But through this trial, never could I have imagined that the message of this film would act as such a timely comfort in my bleakest nights," Helling said of the film.
A "timely comfort" is just what "His Only Son" is proving to be as the demand for faith-based content skyrockets thanks to the unprecedented success of shows like "The Chosen" and "Jesus Revolution." And at the forefront of this crusade? Angel Studios—a company whose mission is to share stories that amplify light.
"We know [audiences] are eager for the kind of stories Angel has to offer, so we've worked hard to reach families and let them know they have a home at Angel," Harmon, said.
As opposed to Hollywood calling the shots, Angel Studios' revolutionary audience-driven model allows regular people to determine what films get made. And that's exactly how a small, independent film made on a shoestring budget of less than $250,000 crowdfunded $1.3 million and is now set to be released in over 1,200 theaters and counting. A milestone not even David Helling saw coming.
"[This film] stands as a stark reminder of what the Lord can do with very little," Helling said.
"This Easter theatrical release is an answer to a prayer I've had for years . . . My hope is that this is the first of many films."
See "His Only Son" in theaters March 31. For more information on this film and how to purchase tickets visit angel.com/son.
