God’s Not Dead Beats Noah

noah-lead

The success of Heaven is for Real and God’s Not Dead shows that if Hollywood wants to appeal to religious audiences, it should make religious movies, instead of hijacking a religious story for a fanatical environmentalist version of Clash of the Titans complete with an attempted abortion.

The numbers are still preliminary, but Noah appears to have completely fallen out of the top 10. God’s Not Dead appears to have taken its place.

Noah will not make $100 million domestically. Its budget is $125 million, not counting another $50 – 75 million for promotion. Internationally though it took in over $160 million which is one reason why Hollywood keeps making so many bad movies these days. They play well abroad.

American audiences may have rejected Noah, but Brazilian, Mexican, Russian and South Korean audiences flocked to see it.

 

 

  • Adamo Veritas

    This article is a bit premature and inaccurate. According to estimates, Noah is still projected to finish the weekend in the top 10 with it barely beating God’s Not Dead, although GND has the advantage in per screen average. Noah currently has earned $93 million domestically and will eventually reach $100 million before May. Worldwide it has grossed $290 million.

    Get your facts straight, Mr. Greenfield… but I guess facts don’t matter on an extremist, right-wing website such as this.

    • Judahlevi

      And they do on an extremist, left-wing website like the ones you read?

      The fact is that the movie would have made twice as much if the director did not insist on his worldview being a part of the movie. Such is the Hollywood ego.

      And, “veritas”, please. I am sure you are the only source of “truth.” Right.

      • Adamo Veritas

        It’s funny how people refer to Noah and its director, Darren Aronofsky, as “Hollywood”. Aronofsky is the least “Hollywood” director there is. He makes films that are outside of the mainstream… artistic, bold, and challenging, unlike most “Hollywood” movies.

        Yes, Noah could have made twice as much money if the director left his worldview and creativity out of the film and let “Hollywood” take creative control and dumb down the story so it pandered to the Christian masses for profit. But thankfully, the studio let him keep his artistic vision and the film is better off because of it.

        • Daniel Greenfield

          Nothing says a good movie like a C cinemascore rating

          • Adamo Veritas

            CinemaScore grades determine mainstream appeal, not the quality of the movie. If anything, the C grade of Noah supports the idea of Aronofsky’s films being outside of “Hollywood”. His films are works of art. He isn’t concerned with CinemaScore grades and test screenings.

          • Daniel Greenfield

            His films are works of art in the sense that they’re badly made, deficient in narrative structure, cold and unappealing, and appreciated mainly by hipsters.

          • Paul H.

            Considering that you’re in the extreme minority in your critical opinion of Aronofsky’s work, you probably ought to re-think your box office forecasts and analysis in general.

            And I didn’t even enjoy Noah. Just not my kinda movie. Is it well-made? Of course it is. Is it making money? Of course it is. Time to set aside the agenda and just let the facts speak for themselves.

          • Daniel Greenfield

            Yes Noah’s failure really shows I’m in the extreme minority.

          • Judahlevi

            Oh yeah, Hollywood just makes movies to be “artistic” and doesn’t really care if anyone comes to see them or not. That is a good business plan.

            It is not “artistic” to stamp your personal worldview on a religious movie, it is arrogant. He didn’t even come up with the story – that is how creative and “artistic” he is.

            Your veracity is lacking and so is your defense of Aronofsky.

          • Adamo Veritas

            My “veracity” is lacking? Check out the box office ACTUALS this weekend and tell me whose veracity is lacking. And may I remind you of the title of this article.

            And, no, the box office numbers are not lies and this is not some huge conspiracy by liberal Hollywood to make FrontPage Mag look bad.

          • Paul H.

            Cinemascore means nothing. It measures mainstream appeal, nothing more. Check Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic. Different story there, buddy.

        • SoCalMike

          Persuading dumbed down Christian masses to part with their hard earned money is about 400 million dollars more artistic if Passion of the Christ is any measure.
          How artistic is the vision that leaves close to 1/2 a billion on the table?

    • Daniel Greenfield

      Estimates are still fluctuating with Bears, Noah and God’s Not Dead contending for the 10 spot.

      • Adamo Veritas

        Yes, and this fact could have been included in your article.

        • Daniel Greenfield

          2nd para, first sentence

  • Paul H.

    Hate to break it to you, but the film WILL make $100 million in the states, and has crossed $320 million worldwide. It’s going to make a profit, even with the marketing costs taken into account. Done.

    • Daniel Greenfield

      Its us take is less than its budget and foreign revenues aren’t as profitable