Will Christians buy a ticket for Hollywood’s version of Noah’s Ark?
Feb 24, 2014, 6:09 AM | Updated: 9:29 am
You probably saw the trailer during the Super Bowl. Russell Crowe in a 3D version of Noah’s Ark, simply titled “Noah.”
Paramount conducted a number of test screenings among Christian groups, but has run into some trouble.
“There’s a strong indication that movie does not track well with the biblical story we were raised with,” says Chris Stone, who runs an ad agency that caters to Christians.
He hasn’t seen the movie, but his understanding is that it depicts Noah as a “crazy, irrational, religious nut fixated on problems like overpopulation.”
“And that is just not supported by the biblical account. Why, if God was unhappy about overpopulation, did he instruct Noah to go forth and multiply?”
So Chris sent out a survey asking his mailing list of Christian consumers if they’d be entertained by a film where the Bible’s message is “replaced by a Hollywood creation.”
Of the 5,000 people who responded, 98 percent said no. Based on that, he’s warned Paramount that Christians will probably avoid this movie.
But you know, Paramount wouldn’t be the first to take liberties with the story of Noah.
There was that comedian, you may have heard of him…Bill Cosby. And he managed to turn it into a pretty good career.