Hollywood, Major Streamers Are Starting to Take Note as Family-Friendly Entertainment Leads The Way
By Movieguide® Contributor
As family-friendly content continues to perform better than its immoral counterparts at the box office, entertainment companies are starting to focus on creating uplifting content.
During the pandemic, positive content saw a stark rise in viewership.
“Obviously, we went through an extremely rough patch in our lives during the pandemic,” Vikrant Mathur, Co-founder of Future Today, told Forbes in a recent interview. “As a result, we did not necessarily want to hear any more bad news or watch anything of a crime of violent nature. Overall, this brand of programming, in general, is pleasant, is positive and is uplifting. It cheers you up, and it brings families together.”
“As a parent, it gives you an opportunity to connect with your family, and content of this nature is a way for all people to bond together,” Mathur added.
As the pandemic restrictions lifted and movie theaters were allowed to reopen, the box office, which had been in shambles, was saved, in large part, thanks to moral movies. In 2021, only three of the top twenty movies were rated R, and many of the top movies championed family and moral values.
The trend continued in 2022 with morally strong TOP GUN: MAVERICK leading the domestic box office. Family movies MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU and PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH also drew in large audiences, both ranking in the top 10 domestic box office for the year.
A portion of Movieguide®’s review of PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH reads:
Funny and exciting, PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH is well made, with interesting animation. The movie has a strong Christian, moral worldview where Puss in Boots must learn to be less selfish and egotistical, think of others above himself and realize he’s not invincible. Another character realizes the value of loving her family. THE LAST WISH also has a priest character and a reference to church. MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for younger children, because the Angel of Death and some other characters are scary.
THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE has shown that uplifting movies are as popular as ever by becoming a worldwide phenomenon and being the first movie of the year to break $1 billion at the box office.
A portion of Movieguide®’s review of THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE reads:
THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE (2023) has a strong moral message about brotherhood, sacrifice, and working together to overcome evil. The movie has breathtaking animation that honors its iconic source material while breathing new life into the large cast of characters from both Mario video games and other Nintendo games of the same universe. For Mario and Luigi, love for one another helps them overcome their deepest fears and stand up against Bowser and his army of Koopas, Goombas, and Piranha Plants. Due to some intense animated action/violence, Movieguide® advises caution for younger children.
Streaming services and Hollywood alike have finally acknowledged that the boost of uplifting content seen during the pandemic persists. Faith and family brands like UP Entertainment, Pureflix, and Great American Family are performing better than ever. Warner Bros.
As a result, major streamers like Discovery’s upcoming streaming rebrand to Max, are planning to include more family-friendly content in their catalog of movies and shows.
“The more people that use it in the family, the more engaged people are, the broader the offering, the lower the churn,” Warner Bros. Discovery CEO, David Zaslov said.
It is encouraging to see the entertainment industry finally respond to the trend that has been pervasive over the last couple of years. The industry always follows the money and right now, the money is with moral and uplifting content.
“Family-friendly content never left; I just think people are putting more money into productions of it,” Charley Humbard, CEO of UPtv said. “Hollywood is eaten up with making these edgy R-rated movies, but they are not the ones bringing in the big dollars right now. With COVID, we was a resurgence of the family brand. People wanted their comfort food, they wanted hope in society and human kindness, and they continue to seek the positive.”
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