As 20th Century Fox opens its Moses epic Exodus: Gods And Kings on Friday, it faces a locust storm at the marketplace. Not only does the Ridley Scott film have to part the red sea of the sluggish B.O. frame as well as contend with a heavy-duty holiday shopping weekend, but the question remains whether faith-based audiences — the prime crowd for Exodus — will show up in numbers to spur word-of-mouth given some of the pic’s creative liberties.
The opening weekend for Scott’s $140M production is expected to gross in the mid-$20Ms at No. 1 with an eye toward $30M – a number that would be lower than the $34.8M opening of the director’s Best Picture Oscar winner Gladiator and the $43.7M weekend box of Paramount’s Noah, another controversial big-budget Old Testament adaptation, which was able to buck Christian criticism and rally a $101.2M stateside gross and $362.6M worldwide. UPDATE SATURDAY, AM: Fox reports $8.62M for first day of Exodus, read more here. Should Exodus fall short on domestic, international should save the film from holy damnation ledger-wise. Pic’s second weekend will indicate if it will reap a solid holiday multiple. Already, Exodus counts $32.6M overseas at the B.O. in 13 territories and could see a global haul of $75M by Sunday. Exodus stars Christian Bale as Moses and Joel Edgerton as Ramses along with John Turturro (Seti), Aaron Paul (Joshua), Sigourney Weaver (Tuya) and Ben Kingsley (Nun).
Elsewhere this weekend, Paramount is opening the Chris Rock self-homage comedy Top Five, which it bought out of the Toronto Film Festival for $12.5M, in 975 locations. The studio is eyeing a three day of $6M-$8M in hope of expanding to more venues based on word-of-mouth. Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 should file behind Moses at No. 2 with $11M, while Warner Bros will unspool Paul Thomas Anderson’s private-eye comedy Inherent Vice in New York and Los Angeles in five theaters with an $80K per theater; that’s slightly higher than the cult director’s Adam Sandler absurdist comedy Punch Drunk Love, which made $73K in five venues.
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“We’re going after everyone,” Fox’s distribution chief Chris Aronson says about how the studio is making a play for a four-quadrant audience for Exodus in 3,503 theaters. Fox hopes it has the event film that will draw all family members to the cinema this holiday season.
In the same fashion that a studio needs to appease and engage the fanboy audience to turn a big-screen comic-book adaptation into a crossover success, it’s essential for a studio to reach out to the faith-based on a biblical film like Exodus, as they’re the folks who will line up first and fuel repeat business.
Like Noah, Exodus has some deviations from the Old Testament — though arguably fewer, according to Christian and Jewish groups. For example, “I Am” aka God is played by a petulant boy; Moses is a young, virile warrior, not a meek 80-year-old man; and the film doesn’t depict God taking his people out of Israel — rather they revolt against the Egyptians.
But not all Christians will have a problem with this, according to Marshall Mitchell, who co-founded faith-based entertainment marketing firm Different Drummer, which handled the religious outreach for Fox on Exodus. “There’s not one homogeneous evangelical crowd, so people are going to be all over the place (with their opinions). For a lot of Christian audiences, Exodus is another stop along the journey of religious discovery and faith engagement. Exodus isn’t expected to define their (Christian) faith, but it’s a tool that they will agree with strongly or disagree with strongly.”
Mitchell points out that even Cecil B. DeMille’s 1956 classic The Ten Commandments took liberties with the Old Testament, filling in narrative gaps, and that film hasn’t suffered over time from the religious establishment.
“I think people are going to approach Exodus individually, taking a piece of Moses that resonates with them.”
Different Drummer implemented numerous forms of outreach to drum up awareness for Exodus, including playing the trailer at several 
Christian conferences over the past two months, inviting a number of Jewish, Muslim and Christian leaders from various sects to a 40-minute sizzle reel of the film in select cities as well as advance screenings. The lobby of the American Bible Society’s HQ in New York is adorned with Exodus ads. TV spots for Exodus were bought specifically during NFL events, given the sports crowd’s Christian sensibility. Rev. Floyd Flake of New York’s Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral, which counts 30,000 members, even publicly extolled Exodus. Faith Driven Consumer, a marketing firm that bridges the gap between 41 million Christians who it says spend $2 trillion annually at the consumer market, says that 78% of all Christians will see a film if their church recommends it.
Mitchell adds, “There wasn’t an effort to get endorsements (from religious leaders or groups), as Moses is a well-known story.” Mark Burnett and Roma Downey’s feature production Son Of God — which Fox released to a solid opening of $25.6M for a film of its size ($22M) and final domestic B.O. of $59.7M — garnered a number of endorsements including Cardinal Roger Mahoney, Archbishop Emeritus of Los Angeles; Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu; and Bishop TD Jakes.
But then there are those Christian groups that prophesize complications for Exodus. Faith Driven Consumer responded to the casting of young British actor Issac Andrews — who the NY Times called “Children of the Corn terrifying” — “as a deal breaker, likely to have significant impact on the box office returns of Exodus.” Last spring, the org’s sister stat firm American Insights published a survey stating that 73% of all adults would be likely to see Exodus if it accurately portrays the biblical account of Moses leading the Jewish people out of captivity. However, 67% of all adults would be unlikely to see the pic if it does not accurately portray the Bible.
“We might call that creative license, but to Christian moviegoers, it’s called heresy!” barks another faith-based film marketing consultant about Exodus‘ liberties.
Faith Driven Consumer projected gloom and doom for Noah, however, that film assailed to solid heights. The group’s founder Chris Stone observed that Noah transcended its core crowd because “the public loves apocalyptic stories, whether it’s The Walking Dead on TV or the Mayan calendar disaster film 2012.” And working in Exodus’ favor in terms of wide appeal are the series of diabolic situations that God wages on the Egyptians.
There also was some scuttlebutt on social media about Exodus in recent weeks. News Corp Chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch received some heat on Twitter after he defended Scott’s choice to cast white movie stars as Egyptians over those of color. In the wake of Murdoch’s tweets, #boycottexodusmovie became a trending topic. Scott in an AP article told prospective snubbers to “Get a life.” Just like Exodus isn’t racking up a slew of endorsements, it’s not racking up a number of prolific of boycotters in the Last Temptation Of Christ sense. It’s doubtful that these squabblers will impact Exodus’ box office.
Social media tracker RelishMIX sees Exodus as having a modest, but growing, 46.2 SMU (social media universe including YouTube views, Facebook likes and views, and Twitter followers and tags combined), which includes 24.4M YouTube views. Exodus star Bale’s 23 Facebook and Twitter fan pages have been driving the film’s engagement during the past month. By comparison, Noah opened with a SMU of 60.4M and 20.4M YouTube views, heavily driven by Emma Watson. Son Of God found an audience with much softer social strategy with a SMU of 7.1M and only 3.6M views.
But again, a movie about Moses doesn’t just boil down to Christian crowds, but those of the Jewish and Islamic faith as well. Rabbi David Baron, head of the Beverly Hills Temple of the Arts, consulted the Exodus screenwriters, pointing out those discrepancies from the Old Testament that were bound to rub traditionalists the wrong way — in particular, a child portraying the Almighty.
Still, Baron thinks that Exodus won’t alienate Jewish audiences; rather, it will re-engage a younger generation to the faith and the Bible story.
“I think audiences know going into the movie they’re not going to get a clergyman’s account of these events,” he said. “I think what gets lost in the analysis of this discussion is how a Hollywood production such as this will create a new palette on which to paint the portrait of Exodus, one of the greatest stories of freedom, and connect it to a new generation.”
One need only look at the score on Rotten Tomatoes for this film to know exactly what it’s going to do this weekend.
Rotten Tomatoes is irrelevant to regular church goers. They are two different tribes. The Passion of the Christ is the model: Hollywood can profit handsomely by being authentic to the New Testament. Gibson’s creativity was his slavishness to Scripture. The proof was when St. John Paul saw the movie and is reported to have said “that’s how it was.”
sure… and he knows cause he was there!!
I’m not Catholic but I must defend the Pope on this one. With all the historical documentation and physical evidence we now posses on the Crucifixion and flogging , one can safely ascertain the physical effects on a human being. To say that’s how it was is not taking liberties. Of all ancient manuscripts, the Bible ranks number one in possessing the greatest number of manuscript testimonies (over 25,000) and earliest copy to original (under 25 years). Second place is not even close. The lliad has 625 copies and the closest is over 500 years from the original. Anything over 150 years from the original begins to enter mythology. Caesars writings are over 1000 years from the original and there are only 10 copies. No one would say he did not exist. Even more importantly there is tremendous secular evidence of the Crucifixion; how it was done, the effects on the person, and that a person named Jesus of Nazareth was crucified (Tacitus, and Josephus to name just two).
Tacitus and Josephus known forgeries. Christ is myth. Seems the only evidence for Christ is purely in the New Testament. Written at best 170 ad. Sorry but it’s a made up story based on previous gods who were also born of a virgin killed and then rose again. 17 different gods all predate Jesus with the same story. It’s all an analogy based on the sun.
what is known is that tens, if not hundreds of thousand Jews were crucified during that time
@Anonymous: There is more evidence for the life and teaching of Jesus Christ than any other singular figure in human history. Ask anyone who isn’t transfixed by the libturd echo chamber.
Your words: “Anything over 150 years from the original begins to enter mythology.” contradict much? LOL I love Bible thumpers. Quick to point out every one else’s flaw but yet the Bible doesn’t apply to the same rules. Funny how that works. I am still wondering how Noah got from his homeland to Australia for two Platypus, to Arizona for a Diamondback Rattlesnake pair, Madagascar for a couple of Nosy Hara, and Osa Peninsula for a two Golfo Dulce (poison dart frogs) and then back home in time for the big world wide flood that there is no proof of. I hope he had gloves for the Dart Frogs (and how would he know? oh wait forgot, my bad. Oh wait there is that picture of an Ark shape on Mount Tendürek that is proof. But no one can get to it. How did Noah go to all those places but we can’t get to a Mountain in Turkey. LOL Sorry to poke fun but that whole common sense thing gets in the way.
@Anonymous: very glad I’m not you. Merry Christmas anyway. Hope He finds you and you him…someday…as He found me…and gave me life. My own evidence..and I’m actually alive to know it.
“Anonymous” does not exist.
Passion of the Christ was a 50/50 split on RT, and many of the negative reviews complained about the violence and torture. For Christians wanting to see an authentic portrayal of the Passion, that was not a detrimental criticism.
Exodus is currently polling 26%, and is being criticized for bad acting, bad story, being overlong and uninteresting. And also for being untrue to the original text. If the negative reviews complained that it was too uplifting or hokey or devout, then the movie might find a Christian audience. But not with these reviews.
Since when does attendance at any church mean you don’t research to gather all sorts of information and see what others think or feel about a particular subject?
Your ignorance is not only astounding, it’s also quite comical.
Anyone hear of ‘DAVID AND GOLIATH’? It’s coming out next year. Big budget movie shot in North Africa…
Yep – like I’d listen to another load of drool from a liberal website.
But, CC, you appear to be the type of person who enjoys being told what to watch, what to think….
Yes that crazy liberal website: RottenTomaotes.
It must be difficult and tiring to always be paranoid.
Al Kirby, calling rotten tomatoes a “load of drool from a liberal website” just shows an immense lack of knowing what the heck you are talking about.
And you don’t?? Grow up Mr. Kirby. It is who or what you listen to. God or man? “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it is the way of death.” Listen and learn Al.
That is quite amusing coming from a religious person, which I assume you are.
Why is that amusing to you? Is it because you are scripturely blind and the things of God don’t make sense to you?
If you are going to comment about a website you should go to it first. If you take second hand as fact you are probably only getting half the story. But then again the entire Bible is 1000 away from 2nd hand so what do I know.
Not sure when critical review aggregators had anything to do with a film’s gross – The Transformers franchise is one of the lowest ranking series of films on Rotten Tomatoes, and it’s made Billions.
That said, the film does indeed look terrible.
Only liberal losers would listen to biased left-wing critics for movie ratings. Ignorant sheep would waste their time at DEADBRAIN Hollywood to get any real truth about anything. Hollywood is controlled by left-wing hypocrite elites. Wake up people!
Rotten Tomatos gave Transformers Age Of Extinction 17% and it grossed a billion!
Thank you. Making money is the greatest revenge to naysayers.
I wouldn’t base the box office receipts on the rotten tomatoes rating. Transformers: Age of Extinction was rated 18% by Rotten Tomatoes (6% if one only uses “top” movie reviewers). Transformers earned over $95 million on its opening weekend. So far only Mockingjay part 1 had a bigger opening weekend in 2014 among domestic releases.
Tedious, Dispassionate, Soul-less, Boredom wrapped in some fine, and some hokey imagery. Scott is certainly no DeMille and Bale is certainly no Heston. The dialogue runs from lackluster to hilariously awful. Don’t waste your money.
Rotten tomatoes is irrelevant to movie goers period. Many a critically acclaimed movie has flopped at the box office and many poorly reviewed movies have made huge profits.
tl;dr
But the answer to your question is no.
Won’t pay to watch this. Maybe I’ll watch it (and Noah) when they get to Netflix or Hulu, but I can’t promise anything.
I didn’t pay the full price for Noah, rented it from Redbox for a buck and a quarter. Not horrible, not great. Wierd stone golems as fallen angels, bad guy hid onboard, Noah went kinda nuts. I am not a regular Bible reader as I should be, but Noah stretched the story a lot. It’s a movie, but no “Passion of the Christ” which seemed authentic, and was difficult to watch, but was VERY moving.
Gosh, we’ll be holding our breaths in anticipation of your momentous decision.
Anyone with a Christian viewpoint will have a negative view the artist rewrote the word of God.
How would the Muslim community react if Hollywood rewrote the Quran? No I won’t ever see this movie or Noah.
Hollywood could care less about being scripurally correct they are in it for the bucks – that’s it. Otherwise most don’t like Christians or our Christ. But, if they see a buck to be made, they hold their noses and make the movie no matter how off from the bible it is.
Unlike all those OTHER people who rewrote it over the centuries.
The word of God has never been rewritten, but carefully preserved by God as attested to by the evidence of its manuscripts and how both the Old and New Testaments were carefully copied for centuries.
If God wrote it, why all the inconsistencies between the scriptures? “Mother Mary was at the tomb. No, wait, she wasn’t. Well, at least we know Mary Magdelene was DEFINITELY there.”
God did not write the bible his disciples did.
And what part of scripture would that be?
Not my view, i believe its Gods view, now ask your self, would you want to piss off God? not me buddy, not me.
FACT!
How many Christians read the story of Noah in the Torah ?
You do know that “The word of God” was re-written 1000 times over. Literally. The Books were handed down by word of mouth. Ever try to play post office at school. Sit in a circle and say a sentence to the person to your left and when it comes around see how close it is. Does’t work. Jenny was outside with a friend and boy was she happy. It comes back A girl and a boy got happy outside with Gin. Imagine 1000 years and the generations in that time frame. You think because it is the word of God no one changed it? Writings didn’t last. Paper ink. Religion didn’t stabilize until the written word could be. The Commandments didn’t last and they were in stone. It all comes down to faith and what you personally believe. That should be enough for each person. Unfortunately greed with money exist in Religion. People want others to be like them. Not sure why but they do. These are movie people, just watch and have fun. Until people are OK that their neighbor don’t believe in what you do or there is 100% definitive proof of one Religion this will be disputed, argued for and people will keep killing. Sad but true.
Haven’t even seen it, but I can tell just from the reports and the trailers that it’s a mis-cast mess. It will be joining the rolls of Hollywood’s biggest flops.
My guess is it will not make a big splash. I think most Christians and others have seen 5 or 6 such movies and there are no surprises. One doesn’t have to spend time and money on a movie to fulfill any religious obligations one might feel they have. All the best to the movie, but I probably won’t ever see it.
As a Christian, I refused to go watch Noah, but I’m leaning toward seeing Gods and Kings.
I watched about 40 min of Noah before turning it off. The name Noah is about the only scriptural part of the movie, I thought it was very blasphemous. Figuring Moses might be the same. I like the way the book tells it.
That is exactly how I feel.
Why? As a Christian I went and saw Noah but portraying God as a petulant child is indeed, for me, a deal breaker. No Exodus for me. This one seems completely secularized.
Watched the movie tonight, honestly imo God wasn’t really a “petulant child” God was vengeful and in the bible God is vengeful. Yes God forgives and can be kind but not always.
dont bother… it was a lame movie aside from its biblical departure
You are better off, way better off, giving your money to a Christian charity or your church…the film was horrible, not only from a Christian perspective, but as a movie in general. Nothing was stirred in me. It was tedious, dispassionate, soul-less, boredom after the first half hour.
OLD testament / NEW testament
WAR god / PEACE god
OLD covenant / NEW covenant
NEVER FORGIVE or FORGET / FORGIVENESS and LOVE
The ESSENCE of Judaism is VENGEANCE
The ESSENCE of CHRISTianity is FORGIVENESS.
ANTI: a prefix meaning “against,” “opposite of,” “antiparticle of,” used in the formation of compound words (anticline); used freely in combination with elements of any origin (antibody; antifreeze; antiknock;;;; ANTICHRIST).
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house …….
Israel covets EVERYBODY’S houses, lands,and goods.
“christian-zionism” is an OXYMORON,
and a form of mental illness, because no SANE person can believe in two opposing gods at one time.
I will not go. I don’t trust “faith based” films from Hollywood – unless they’re about demons and other forms of evil – then I know it’s authentic. But Hollywood never gets anything Biblically accurate.
That’s why Hollywood rejected The Passion of The Christ.
so true and you made me laugh too.
I consider myself a religious person, and I have no deslre to go to this movie. I’ll read it in the scriptures, thank you.
Good one!
For 80 years old…this Moses looks awfully young! If this is how accurate they are making the movie…NO THANKS.
I don’t know why they even bother making these kinds of movies. Non-religious people don’t really care about this half-baked story that never actually happened, and religious people don’t like it because it doesn’t follow “their” Bible version of du jour.
What audience are movies like Exodus and Noah aimed at?
Non-religious people DO CARE about “half-baked stories that never actually happened”. Look at Avatar. Just because you’re an ant-religious zealot, that doesn’t mean everyone has the disdain of religion that you do.
NOAH’S $362.6M worldwide for just theatrical box office ain’t chump change.
Add another $150M for ancillary markets.
There’s your audience.
people who like “cool” special effects
Don’t worry about it, you sound like you don’t believe, if you don’t believe then don’t worry about what happens in the here after, frightening isn’t it?
People who get religion from movies. Sad but true i imagine. It is a money maker and i just wish more stories were told,But as true to the word as possible.
If you travel people all over the world take movies as the truth. Not all,But I have been questioned about people in the U.S. being like what they see in the movies/TV. Some people see our country as scary. Never ending wars and a government that doesn’t represent the people. Our country being over run by illegal aliens. And the u.s. being run by the military/industrial complex.
No, I will not attend nor purchase the DVD. The movie is historically inaccurate (Ramses was not Pharaoh and the Pharaonic dynasty which followed the Hyksos is the one which enslaved the Hebrews. The Hebrews were not enslaved for centuries because they lived in peace under the Hyksos Dynasty) and the accounting written by Moses in the Book of Exodus has been twisted and embellished. Once again, Hollywood decided that God’s word was not good enough.
Except the Hyksos were deposed and the dynasty that took power in Egypt DID enslave the Jews before the birth of Moses.
This film is as ridiculous as Kevin Heart playing William Wallace in Braveheart.
Exactly. We know the Egyptians were Black people (NOT ARABS), who looked much like East Africans do today (full lips narrower noses than West Africans, light Brown to dark).
Let’s cast Denzel as Abe Lincoln, JLo as Dolly Madison, and John Cho as Gen. Patton, while we’re at it.
wrong
Check out Yehia Gad..Egyptian who has done DNA sequencing on pharonic mummies
Not true, even if you want to believe this. I have been in a number of pharaohs tombs in Karnak. Most of these tombs have color painting that has by and large stood the test of time (although starting to corrode due to the breathes of tourists and dust and oil they bring). The pharaoh, their consorts and the high officials and the Gods depicted are all obviously white/Semitic who sometimes are tanned, but non the less fit squarely in a Semitic profile. They knew how to draw dark skinned Nubians–who they depicted as captured slaves. When I discussed the comments I had heard from some Americans that the Pharaohs were black, an Egyptologist was incredulous
Now there was, in Egypt’s history a Nubian dynasty, but that was for a relatively short time. Having said this, the Nubian people were very civilized, had their own kings and could at times seriously challenge the Egyptians–however, they weren’t Egyptian–more physically linked to the people of Sudan
This one won’t be epic with Christians if it’s the same kind of revisionist Hollywood CRAP that the recent Noah story with Russel Crowe was.
Scott should have shown UFO’s parting the Red Sea and aliens building the pyramids. He’d have pulled in the History Channel audience.
A film about a religious icon minus any accurate mention of religion? No wonder people quit going to the movies!
Looking to mainstream Hollywood for a Christian message is like looking for sexual abstinence in a whorehouse
Now that is a truly humorous observation.
You nailed it!!! Perfect Comment! Thank you.
LOL the absolute best comment ever hahahahah
Not really.
Beware the liberal propaganda in the film.
It’s there aplenty
I plan on seeing the movie. I hope its not ALL special effects. I also hope the story line is accurately based on the Biblical story. Of course their is some creative license allowed.
I saw it, it’s terrible if you read the bible.
Ridley Scott is a known quantity. I could have predicted most of the reaction to his ‘Moses’ without either seeing it or having read anything about it.
First of all Scott is fundamentally a set designer. All his movies have great costumes and sets. Alas he isn’t much of a dramatist. And he has an anti-American or anti-Western political slant.
He doesn’t seem to care if his films make any sense as long as they look good. Some directors are excellent with actors, Scott is excellent with the actor’s shirt.
I’m a Climate Denier, but I think I’ll make a film about Climate Change and expect all the Global Warming loons to flock to it. Yeah, that’s the ticket.
Perfect.
Better a denier than a liar!
I read the Book, I don’t believe I need to movie to clarify what happened.
Me too……..
Pssst. Hey. The Exodus story is Old Testament. Zero Christianity in the narrative.
You are missing the big picture; the whole bible is about Jesus from front to back.
Last time I checked, Christians believed in the Old AND New Testament.
OLD testament / NEW testament
WAR god / PEACE god
OLD covenant / NEW covenant
NEVER FORGIVE or FORGET / FORGIVENESS and LOVE
The ESSENCE of Judaism is VENGEANCE
The ESSENCE of CHRISTianity is FORGIVENESS.
ANTI: a prefix meaning “against,” “opposite of,” “antiparticle of,” used in the formation of compound words (anticline); used freely in combination with elements of any origin (antibody; antifreeze; antiknock;;;; ANTICHRIST).
“christian-zionism” is an OXYMORON,
and a form of mental illness, because no SANE person can believe in two opposing gods at one time.
@ william You seemingly haven’t actually read the Bible much; you should try it sometime. Psalm 103: 8, “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness.” Matthew 10:34, Jesus said “Think not that I came to send peace on the earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.”
Jesus said, “You diligently study the (Old Testament) scriptures because you think that by them you have eternal life. THESE ARE THE SCRIPTURES THAT TESTIFY ABOUT ME.”
– John 5:39
Glad to hear its more of a fantasy film and not a religious movie.
And that’s how I always thought of the Abrahamic Religion’s god, as a spoiled, jealous and ignorant child.
So this works out me.
Don’t be a bigot.
You won’t always think of him that way…
“Every eye will see him, even those who pierced him.” “Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, the Father.”
spoiled, jealous and ignorant…sounds more like you are describing yourself and not The Almighty who made you
A mainstream Hollywood production of anything Christian should receive a healthy dose of cynicism,,, there will be subversive potshots without doubt.