U.S. Churches Have Chance to 'Get Behind' Left Behind
by Allie Martin
August 24, 2005
(AgapePress) - The latest movie based on the best-selling "Left Behind" end-times series will open this fall through a new distribution system involving churches across America. Left Behind: World at War is the third movie based on the best-selling book series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. The movie takes place a year and a half after the Rapture, and follows the adventures of a group of Christians known as "The Tribulation Force," who are attempting to stop the rise of the Anti-Christ.
Kirk Cameron, who starred in the first two Left Behind films, again plays the role of journalist Buck Williams in World at War. He summarizes the plot of this third installment.
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Kirk Cameron |
"The Tribulation Force -- [composed of the characters] Buck and Chloe and Rayford and Bruce Barnes -- [is] trying to stop the plans of Nicolae Carpathia, the Anti-Christ, who is really trying to take control over the entire Earth," Cameron says. "One of his main plots is to squash all the Christians so that there's no Christian force there to stop him -- and it basically culminates in a massive world war." Returning with Cameron on the cast of World at War are his wife, Chelsea Noble (playing Hattie Durham), as well as Brad Johnson (Rayford Steele), Janaya Stephens (Chloe Steele), and Gordon Currie (Carpathia). Academy Award winner Lou Gossett, Jr., joins the cast in this film, playing the role of U.S. President Gerald Fitzhugh.
When the movie opens on October 21, it will be shown in churches instead of theaters. Four days later, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release the film on DVD. Cameron says the goal of the unique distribution system is to capture Hollywood's attention.
"If churches get behind this and we get tens of thousands of churches to screen this movie on opening weekend, that will send an extremely clear message to Hollywood that when the Christian community gets behind something [it makes] a huge difference in the culture," the Christian actor explains.
The hoped-for result, he adds, is that "Hollywood is going to want to release future movies through this church-distribution system if they see it working with the Left Behind movie."
Churches interested in holding a community-wide screening can obtain information through the film's official website: LeftBehind-WorldatWar.com. Churches will pay a nominal license fee based on church membership, and will be given the freedom to designate their "box office take" from ticket sales to benefit church programs such as mission, expansion, or youth activities.
Allie Martin, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
