2 of 3

Winter, who has also produced such Fox tentpoles as the X-Men trilogy and the two Fantastic Four films, is quick to add that the idea of a faith-based brand is a good one.

"It's good for the marketplace, and good for the Christian community," he said. "Is there a learning curve? Of course. We are learning, and Fox is learning. You can't jump to the end game and say everyone knows the right solution, when we are just starting out."

Media guru Phil Cooke, president of Cooke Pictures, said Fox Faith faces unique challenges from "a branding point of view" due to the diversity of the Christian community.

"While the general culture looks at 'Christians' being a homogenous group of people, we [Christians] track along a wide range of extremes in our thinking, our attitudes toward culture, and our doctrinal perspectives," Cooke said. "The Passion of The Christ, which pretty much set this 'faith-based' fascination off in the minds of Hollywood, was a traditional story of the Passion, Crucifixion, and Resurrection. It told a story that the main thrust of the Christian community can agree on, and as a result, hit the box office jackpot. But once you drift from that central story that is the core of our faith, all bets are off."

Cooke noted that such Fox Faith fare as The Last Sin Eater, The Redemption of Sarah Cain, and the Love Comes Softly films, all based on Christian novels, are "primarily appealing to women of faith. But there are plenty in the Christian community who would run screaming from the room at the thought of that genre or style. Ralph [Winter] is producing thrillers, and many conservative Christians think that's a dubious venture at best. Family films are no different. So, when you ask, 'What do people think of when they think of Fox Faith?', there's no easy answer. It's easy to get a consensus about Starbucks, Nike, or stock car racing, but when it comes to an expression of religious faith? Now, that's something altogether different.

"From a branding perspective, we live in an era of niches, and the truth is, the 'Christian' audience is too large to effectively brand as a whole. Whatever happens, Fox Faith represents the first serious effort of a major Hollywood studio to recognize, respect, and try to reach a Christian audience. While the marketing and branding strategy will no doubt continue to be adjusted and tweaked, other studios will follow in their path."

Fox's Feldstein and Bixler concur that mistakes have been made along the way, and that it's a model in constant need of adjustments and tweaks.

One likely change in strategy will be a bigger emphasis on direct-to-video projects. As part of the Fox Home Entertainment division, Fox Faith was primarily geared to the video market anyway, right from the start. But the lack of success at the box office likely means the brand will focus even more on direct-to-video and in retail.

They're also looking at more direct-to-TV releases, followed by video release, as was the case recently with The Redemption of Sarah Cain. The film had been slated for an August theatrical release, but was sold to Lifetime, a TV network aimed at women, where it had strong ratings. Bixler said Lifetime's offer was "too good a deal to turn down," and was likely more profitable than it would have been at the box office. (Sarah Cain hits DVD in January 2008.)

Fox Faith will also focus on retail partnerships, such as its deal with Family Christian Stores, who carry the entire Fox Faith catalog, plus other "family-friendly" Fox movies like Night at the Museum, Eragon, and Cheaper by the Dozen. A recent Family Christian Stores flyer included a special deal: A free DVD player "with purchase of any 3 Fox Faith or 20th Century Fox DVDs."

Another strategical change for Fox Faith will likely be fewer theatrical releases, since that's where they've taken some hits. Their first release, Love's Abiding Joy, earned a paltry $253,000 in October 2006. Four months later, The Last Sin Eater made just $388,000. In between, Thr3e barely earned $1 million. (Their biggest theatrical hits have been One Night With the King [$13 million] and The Ultimate Gift [$3.4 million].)

next page... |  2 of 3