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How are you planning to finance the movie?

Taylor: We showed it to a couple of studios who were enthusiastic, but I didn't really want them to pay for it, because we wanted at least a co-production deal where we would keep ownership of the creative process. Studio funding is typically problematic because it comes with too many strings attached. So we're in the process of raising the entire budget via private investors so we can do this ourselves, because we feel that we know what this movie needs to be and, frankly, a Hollywood studio doesn't. My business partners and I decided private funding is the best route to ensure that the movie retains the true spirit of the book and has the best shot for commercial success.

As far as distribution goes, we have one studio who has already agreed to distribute it, but we also now have three studios tracking the project because they've read the script and are interested. So we'll let them see it when it's done and we'll see how it all goes.

Do you feel like you're making a movie with universal appeal, or one that will be targeted primarily to a Christian audience?

Miller: We want it to have a universal appeal, but honestly I think it will be mostly Christians who go to see it. People bought cases of the book to hand to people who weren't Christians and many people have come to know Christ through reading the book, and I think the movie is very similar. It's the sort of film I could bring my friend who's not a Christian to, not to introduce them to the gospel or to Jesus, but to introduce them to me. This is my life, this is my struggle and this is how I feel. I think the movie will be kind of a relational tool for Christians to help them be understood in an American culture. And to me that's a very powerful tool. Many people come to know Christ through their relationships with believers, and this is a tool that enhances and deepens those relationships.

Taylor: Hollywood has this system of readers who read screenplays and give their comments by rating them "pass," "consider," or sometimes "strong consider." A reader for [a major studio] gave us a "strong consider" rating. What made it stand out to him from the typical college comedy were these struggles of faith—but they didn't keep it from being a funny and engaging movie. It kind of managed to make what can be a stupid genre more interesting, true and poignant, but also more funny. His comments sounded like something I think I could have actually written about the movie myself.

Don Miller photos by SJ Harmon Photography.

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