Jesus Revolution Rockets into Netflix's Top 5: 'Let's Pray God Uses This Film'

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The box office hit Jesus Revolution jumped into Netflix's Top 5 this week, adding another accomplishment to the portfolio of a film that already had made waves in theaters.

Jesus Revolution was the No. 4 most popular movie on Netflix Wednesday, two days after it launched on the platform and five months after it surprised Hollywood observers by opening at No. 3 at the box office.

California pastor Greg Laurie, whose story is told in the movie, has even bigger goals for the film.

"Let's get it to #1!" Laurie wrote on Instagram. "Netflix has over 75 million subscribers. Let's pray God uses this film to touch their hearts with the Gospel."

Jesus Revolution follows the real-life story of hippie evangelist Lonnie Frisbee (Jonathan Roumie), who joins forces with straight-laced pastor Chuck Smith (Kelsey Grammer) to lead a group of hippies to Christ. The movement started a nationwide revival. One of those teens who came to Christ was Laurie (Joel Courtney).

Producer Andy Erwin said of Frisbee and Smith: "God just used them as nitroglycerin to kind of ignite" a movement.

"And Chuck was one of the first people to let the hippies in the church," Erwin told Christian Headlines.

Frisbee, he said, had a "messy life" (he died of AIDS) but was nevertheless used by God in a mighty way.

"If you look at the history of the church, there are a lot of messy people," Erwin added. "... God's redemptive power will use anyone that's available."

Jesus Revolution grossed $52 million domestically and was given an A+ CinemaScore grade by moviegoers. The perfect score made co-director Jon Erwin the first director ever to record four perfect marks. Erwin previously notched A+ CinemaScores for Woodlawn (2015), I Can Only Imagine (2018) and American Underdog (2021).

Erwin co-directed Jesus Revolution with Brent McCorkle. It was made by Kingdom Story Company.

Photo courtesy: ©Lionsgate, used with permission. 

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel. 

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