8-31-2015 – Straight Outta Compton was the big winner at the box office for the third straight week, but not far behind, the indie Christian picture War Room took the weekend’s second spot.
The fourth big release by Alex and Stephen Kendrick (makers of Courageous, Facing the Giants, and Fireproof) is grabbing headlines Monday for its stunning $11.3 million performance. The film was produced off a modest $3 million budget, which is a considerably larger sum than the duo is used to working with.
While the strong weekend has already made War Room a financial success, the film’s limited showing demonstrates an enthusiasm for faith-based projects, and a number of factors likely contributed to the movie’s early returns, which have shocked some projections.
Deadline reports some contributing factors to the success of the film include a 4.5 out of 5 star rating from Faith Based Consumer, in addition to an A+ CinemaScore.
Black moviegoers also accounted for a large portion of those who saw the film, which features a mostly black cast.
Fandango also announced War Room attracted bulk ticket buyers, who learned of the film from churches and pastors, who began spreading the word before production through a grassroots campaign. Full Story.