Fireproof - Insane Statistics
Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 6:53 AM 
I had the privilege of emailing back and forth with a partner of Lovell-Fairchild Communications, publicity agents for Sherwood Pictures, about the church's latest film, "Fireproof." Here is a copy of the email Julie Fairchild sent me.
The Love Dare, the book in the movie, had already shipped out 600,000 copies before it officially hit the market this morning, and was ranked #11 on Amazon.com. A 7th printing is already underway with tens of thousands backordered.
The box office numbers are $6.8 mil for opening weekend on 839 screens, putting FIREPROOF at #4 at the box office, just narrowly behind Lakeview Terrace which was #3. To help with perspective here, the movies ahead of Fireproof had 3 or 4 times the number of screens and most of the films behind it did too. The per screen average, a major indicator in Hollywood, was only a few dollars less than Eagle Eye, the #1 movie. (which cost 160 times as much to make)
Fireproof’s box office take is the largest of any film that has opened on less than 1000 screens this year (except Hannah Montana’s 3-D concert).
But the real evidence of success is in all of our inboxes. We’ve received an avalanche of email from people who have seen the film, and whose lives and marriages were affected. MANY people in desperate circumstances have written to say they have hope. Others have said, their marriage was literally snatched from divorce in the movie theater. One woman wrote that she babysat for a couple who was certainly headed for divorce so they could go. They called her from the theater and asked if she would stay over, that they wanted to go to the mountains after the film, and try to work things out so they could save their marriage.
While making films that are financially viable is important, Sherwood Pictures, an outreach of Sherwood Baptist Church, measures their success in changed lives. Today they are rejoicing!
Julie Fairchild
My friends, this is nothing short of the power of God working right in front of our faces. It is absolutely AMAZING what God is doing. No one would have imagined a $500,000 budget with little to no secular advertising could turn these types of numbers.
Once again, if you have not seen the movie - PLEASE, GO SEE IT THIS WEEK! I'd consider it a personal favor. It would be absolutely incredible to not only see a Christian based movie hit it big, but to see more and more marriages enhanced or saved... let alone how many might choose Jesus for the first time because of this film. Invite a neighbor and then let me how you liked it.
Reader Comments (1)
I went to go see the fireproof movie today it was excellent very inspirational. Even that I am single man the movie taught me that petty quarrels leave to disasters results and that God has to me in all walks of our lives. Also the movie showed as men we can really be jerks sometimes, but it takes a long time for us to be forgiven. We do take nagging sometimes when someone is just asking for our help and we are turned off. My grandmother and I both said this is one of the best movies that we have seen in along time. She wish’s that she have seen a movie that would have helped her own marriage when she was young, she and I both think that married and singles need to go see this movie. We wish that the creator would make a sequel to this one to show how people should raise their children.