Erwin Brothers

Last updated

Andrew Erwin
Born (1978-09-01) September 1, 1978 (age 42)
Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
Occupation Film director, screenwriter, film producer
Jon Erwin
Born (1982-05-19) May 19, 1982 (age 38)
Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
Occupation Film director, screenwriter, film producer

Andrew and Jon Erwin, known as the Erwin Brothers, are American Christian film directors, screenwriters and film producers known for such films as Woodlawn , [1] October Baby , [2] Moms' Night Out [3] [4] and I Can Only Imagine which have collectively grossed more than $120 million worldwide. They are the leaders and co-founders of the production company Kingdom Story Company.

Contents

Early life

The Erwin brothers were born in Birmingham, Alabama. [5] They are the children of the senator Hank Erwin and grandsons of Henry Eugene "Red" Erwin Sr., a Medal of Honor recipient and World War II veteran.

Career

After stopping their studies at a film school, the Erwin brothers produced The Cross and the Towers, a documentary about the steel cross found in the debris of the World Trade Center towers after September 11 attacks. [6]

Jon Erwin served as second unit director for Alex and Stephen Kendrick's 2011 film Courageous . When asked by Alex in reference to his career, "[w]hat is your purpose?", Jon and Andrew conceived the idea for their first feature film, October Baby , a Christian pro-life drama which was released in March 2014. [7] [8] The brothers went on to produce and direct several other faith-based films, including comedy Moms' Night Out (2014), and sports drama Woodlawn (2015). Their 2018 music biopic I Can Only Imagine , became a surprise box-office hit with $17.1 million from 1,629 theaters during its debut weekend, and went on to become the most successful independent film of the year of 2018, as well as the third-highest grossing music biopic at the time of its release. It made more in box office receipts than all of their previous films combined and is their most successful film to date, with $86 million in worldwide box office against a production budget of $7 million. [9] [10]

In 2018, the brothers and their frequent filmmaking collaborator Kevin Downes announced the formation of Kingdom Story Company, a production company specializing in Christian films that will be distributed through Lionsgate. [11] Some will be directed by the Erwins, while other movies will use newcomers and other veteran directors. [12] Jon Erwin compared it to a "Christian Pixar" or "Christian Marvel". As Baptist Press put it, the company will specialize "in a specific area"—the faith-based genre—and be able to "work on multiple films at one time." [12]

In early 2019, the Erwins revealed that their fifth film, I Still Believe , would be focusing on the life story of Christian musician Jeremy Camp. [13] It was released on March 13, 2020.

In February 2020, Andrew Erwin related the Erwins' goal in filmmaking:

Our focus is still firmly rooted within the church, but it's focused out[.] . . . And so our goal is to reach out beyond the church walls to engage a generation that's walking away from the church – as an introduction to Christianity.

— Andrew Erwin, in an interview with Christian Headlines [14]

Filmography

As directors

FilmYearDistribution studioBox office
October Baby 2011 Provident Films and Samuel Goldwyn Films $5.3 million
Moms' Night Out 2014 TriStar Pictures $10.5 million
Woodlawn 2015 Pure Flix $14.4 million
I Can Only Imagine 2018 Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions $86 million
I Still Believe 2020 Lionsgate and Kingdom Story Company $10.7 million
A Rush of Hope2020 Lionsgate and Kingdom Story Company n/a
American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story2021 Lionsgate and Kingdom Story Company n/a
The Jesus Revolution2021 Lionsgate and Kingdom Story Company n/a

Related Research Articles

<i>The Case for Christ</i> 2017 film directed by Jon Gunn

The Case for Christ is a 2017 American Christian drama film directed by Jon Gunn and written by Brian Bird, based on a true story that was inspired by the 1998 book of the same name by Lee Strobel. The film stars Mike Vogel, Erika Christensen, Faye Dunaway and Robert Forster, and follows an atheist journalist who looks to disprove his wife's Christian faith. The film was released on April 7, 2017 by Pure Flix Entertainment.

Kristen Wiig American actress and comedian

Kristen Carroll Wiig is an American actress, comedian, writer, producer, and voice actress. She was born in Canandaigua, New York, and raised in both Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Rochester, New York. She later relocated to Los Angeles, where she broke into comedy as a member of the improvisational comedy troupe The Groundlings, and made her television debut in 2003.

Henry Eugene "Hank" Erwin Jr. is an evangelical Christian. Erwin was a broadcaster and a former Republican State Senator in Alabama, USA, representing the 14th District, from 2002 until 2010. He represented portions of Jefferson, Shelby, Bibb and Chilton counties.

Alex Kendrick American actor and director

Alex Kendrick is an American film writer, producer, director and actor, best known for directing and starring in notable faith-based films, including Facing The Giants, War Room, Overcomer, Courageous, and Fireproof. He is one of only two film directors to have three different films receive an "A+" grade on CinemaScore.

Madeline Carroll American actress

Madeline Carroll is an American actress and screenwriter.

Kevin Downes is an American actor, writer, producer, director, and co-founder and Chief of Production and Distribution of Kingdom Story Company. Downes grew up in Visalia, three hours north of Los Angeles. Many of the Christian films he participated in were shot there.

The Christian film industry is an umbrella term for films containing a Christian themed message or moral, produced by Christian filmmakers to a Christian audience, and films produced by non-Christians with Christian audiences in mind. They are often interdenominational films, but can also be films targeting a specific denomination of Christianity.

<i>Courageous</i> (film) 2011 Christian drama film directed by Alex Kendrick

Courageous is a 2011 American independent Christian drama film directed by Alex Kendrick and written by Kendrick with his brother Stephen Kendrick. It is the fourth film by Sherwood Pictures, the creators of Flywheel, Facing the Giants, and Fireproof. Filming in Albany, Georgia concluded in June 2010. The film was marketed by Sony's Provident Films, which also marketed their previous films.

Mission Pictures International (MPI) is a foreign sales, finance, and distribution company specializing in family and faith-based entertainment for mainstream audiences worldwide.

<i>Finding Dory</i> 2016 animated film produced by Pixar Animation Studios

Finding Dory is a 2016 American 3D computer-animated adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Directed by Andrew Stanton with co-direction by Angus MacLane, the screenplay was written by Stanton and Victoria Strouse. The film is a sequel/spinoff to Finding Nemo (2003) and features the returning voices of Ellen DeGeneres and Albert Brooks, with Hayden Rolence, Ed O'Neill, Kaitlin Olson, Ty Burrell, Diane Keaton, and Eugene Levy joining the cast. The film focuses on the amnesiac fish Dory, who journeys to be reunited with her parents.

<i>Moms Night Out</i> 2014 film by Erwin Brothers

Moms' Night Out is a 2014 American faith-based comedy film directed by the Erwin Brothers, and written by Jon Erwin and Andrea Gyertson Nasfell. The film stars Sarah Drew, Sean Astin, Patricia Heaton, and Trace Adkins. The film was released on May 9, 2014, in 1,044 theaters.

<i>Woodlawn</i> (film) 2015 film directed by Erwin Brothers

Woodlawn is a 2015 American Christian sports drama film directed by the Erwin Brothers. Based on the true story of Tandy Gerelds and Tony Nathan, it stars Sean Astin, Nic Bishop, Caleb Castille, Sherri Shepherd, Jon Voight, and C. Thomas Howell. It was produced by Kevin Downes and Daryl Lefever with Crescent City Pictures and Red Sky Studios and was released on October 16, 2015 by Pure Flix Entertainment.

<i>Notorious</i> (2009 film) 2009 American biopic about The Notorious B.I.G.

Notorious is a 2009 American biographical drama film directed by George Tillman Jr. about American rapper Christopher Wallace / The Notorious B.I.G., following his life and murder. The film stars Jamal Woolard as Wallace, alongside Angela Bassett, Derek Luke, and Anthony Mackie. Woolard reprised his role as Wallace in All Eyez on Me (2017).

Pure Flix American film production and distribution company

Pure Flix is an evangelical Christian film production and distribution studio founded by David A. R. White and Russell Wolfe, inspired by Netflix. Pure Flix produces Christian films, including God's Not Dead (2014), Do You Believe? (2015), Woodlawn (2015), The Case for Christ (2017), and Unplanned (2019). Since 2014, films produced and distributed by Pure Flix have collectively grossed over $195 million at the worldwide box office. The company has headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona.

<i>I Can Only Imagine</i> (film) 2018 American drama film directed by Erwin Brothers

I Can Only Imagine is a 2018 American Christian biographical drama film directed by the Erwin Brothers and written by Alex Cramer, Jon Erwin, and Brent McCorkle, based on the story behind the group MercyMe's song "I Can Only Imagine", the best-selling Christian single of all time. The film stars J. Michael Finley as Bart Millard, the lead singer who wrote the song about his relationship with his father. Madeline Carroll, Trace Adkins, Priscilla Shirer, and Cloris Leachman also star.

<i>Overcomer</i> (film) 2019 film by Alex Kendrick

Overcomer is a 2019 American Christian drama film directed by Alex Kendrick, who co-wrote the script with Stephen Kendrick. It is the Kendrick brothers' sixth film and their second through their subsidiary, Kendrick Brothers Productions. The film was released by Sony Pictures through its label, Affirm Films, on August 23, 2019.

<i>I Still Believe</i> (film) American biographical drama film

I Still Believe is a 2020 American Christian romantic drama film directed by the Erwin Brothers and starring KJ Apa, Britt Robertson, Shania Twain, Melissa Roxburgh, and Gary Sinise. It is based on the life of American contemporary Christian music singer-songwriter Jeremy Camp and his first wife, Melissa Lynn Henning-Camp, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer shortly before they married. Camp's song "I Still Believe" is the film's namesake.

Kingdom Story Company American studio specializing in Christian films

Kingdom Story Company, is an American film and television studio in partnership with Lionsgate specializing in the production of Christian films. It was founded in 2018 by the Erwin Brothers, Kevin Downes, and Tony Young and has operations in Nashville, Tennessee and Los Angeles, California.

References

  1. ↑ McNary, Dave (November 20, 2014). "'Woodlawn': Jon Voight Starring as Bear Bryant in Football Movie". Variety . Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  2. ↑ Ryzik, Melena (April 4, 2012). "'October Baby' Film Makes a Dent at the Box Office". The New York Times.
  3. ↑ Genzlinger, Neil (May 8, 2014). "Dad's Watching Us? Call Social Services". The New York Times.
  4. ↑ Goforth, Dan (May 6, 2014). "Filmmakers The Erwin Brothers Schedule a Moms' Night Out".
  5. ↑ Gregory E. Miller, Brothers want to ‘build a bridge’ between Hollywood and Christians, New York Post, 15 mars 2018
  6. ↑ Bob Carlton, 'October Baby,' first feature for Birmingham's Erwin brothers, opens this weekend, al.com, October 27, 2011
  7. ↑ Neil W. McCabe (March 11, 2012). "'October Baby' a comedy-drama of teen abortion survivor trauma". HumanEvents.com. Archived from the original on June 26, 2018. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  8. ↑ Melena Ryzik, Film Inspired by ‘Abortion Survivor’ Is Quiet Hit, The New York Times, April 4, 2012
  9. ↑ "I Can Only Imagine (2018). Weekly". Box Office Mojo . Amazon.com . Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  10. ↑ "I Can Only Imagine (2018)". The Numbers . Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  11. ↑ Mia Galuppo (March 27, 2019). "'I Can Only Imagine' Producers, Lionsgate Set Faith-Based Film Slate". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved August 24, 2019.
  12. 1 2 Foust, Michael. "Erwins unveil next plans, envision 'Christian Pixar'". bpnews.net. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  13. ↑ Longs, Herb. "Jeremy Camp Inspired 'I Still Believe' Movie Coming March 20, 2020". TheChristianBeat.com. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  14. ↑ Michael Foust (February 19, 2020). "Director: "I Still Believe" Is a 'Huge Opportunity' to Reach the Unchurched". Christian Headlines. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.