Angel Studios Celebrates ‘Remarkable Response’ to THE SHIFT
By Movieguide® Contributor
Angel Studios’ THE SHIFT is already set to make millions from both box office profits and merch sales.
“Our strategy has been to release the film slowly, building an audience throughout the holiday season and into early 2024,” Brandon Purdie, the Head of Theatrical at Angel Studios, explained in a press release. “But with the remarkable response in box office pre-sales and general merchandise sales, including over $2,000,000 in empty tomb necklaces alone, we are committed to increase our P&A theatrical marketing spend well into the Christmas season.”
THE SHIFT is a dystopian retelling of the Book of Job, starring Kristoffer Polaha, Neal McDonough, Sean Astin, Liz Tabish, Rose Reid and John Billingsley.
Director Brock Heasley spoke to Newsweek about the movie’s release and the pressure of being Angel Studios’ follow-up to the blockbuster SOUND OF FREEDOM.
“Here we are sandwiched between SOUND OF FREEDOM and CABRINI, and we’re a very different film, we’re sci-fi. And to Angel’s credit they are releasing very different films, so they’ve made a big statement on who they are,” Heasley explained. “So for us to be following SOUND OF FREEDOM, I’ll be honest that it came with its own stress. I became aware very quickly that all eyes were going to be on us.”
He continued, “I was hoping our film would be worthy. It was a blessing and a curse, I was very grateful but very aware of the pressure.”
It looks like Heasley’s fears were unfounded — THE SHIFT opened December 1 and has already made over $4 million, per Box Office Mojo.
The Movieguide® review for THE SHIFT reads:
THE SHIFT is a science fiction movie with a fantasy twist. Kevin Garner loses his job on Wall Street during the 2008 financial crisis. That day, he meets his future wife, Molly. They know every marriage has problems, but they marry anyway. They grow apart when their young son wanders off one day and disappears. Kevin urges Molly to have faith. Then, the Devil offers to make Kevin rich and powerful, if he works for him. Kevin just starts praying, and the Devil flees. However, Kevin is now stuck on a totalitarian world in another universe. He searches for a way to escape and return to Molly.
THE SHIFT is one of the most moving, inventive, compelling, and powerful faith-based movies ever made. The writing, acting and directing are superb. THE SHIFT has a strong Christian, moral worldview. It contains strong allegorical, overt and beautiful references to God, Scripture, the Resurrection, and the Empty Tomb. The hero prays and rebuffs the Devil. However, THE SHIFT has some action violence where people are shot and alcohol use. So, MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for pre-teenage children.
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