Jesus Revolution director-producer Jon Erwin and former YouTube executive Kelly Merryman Hoogstraten raised about $75 million to create the Wonder Project, a faith-based studio. Both founders hope the final result will help provide “faith-infused content…rooted in Christian traditions.”
Hoogstraten will head the studio as the company’s CEO, while Erwin will be the chief creative officer. The writing team is currently made up of about a dozen writers working on early drafts of future screenplays. With all of these people put together, Hoogstraten and Erwin hope to reach a primarily Christian audience to give them the content they believe they need.
After the release of his surprise hit, Jesus Revolution, Erwin wanted to go further in creating media with a Christian demographic in mind. While he had no problem collaborating with other studios to help make this project a reality, he stated, “But we want to do it while building something that is independent and can last.”
Additionally, Hoogstraten voiced what she believed was a strong need for Christian media while continuing to offer uplifting stories that can appeal to many demographics. As a former YouTube and Netflix executive, Hoogstraten believed that Wonder Project would develop a “scaled solution for the heartland, for the audience that goes to school with my kids.” According to the new CEO, she wants “to flood the world with hope right now.”
In addition to their efforts, other studio heads, from Lionsgate to Jason Blum, have provided their investments to help the studio reach its goal. Blum stated that he empathized with the studio’s efforts to create media for “an affinity audience, who is underserved with programming options.” The Chosen director-producer Dallas Jenkins, who will act as their special adviser, proclaimed that these efforts help provide “a place for people like me who can have the creative freedom and a connection to the audience” and where they won’t have to justify their faith-based focus.
There are currently no official announcements regarding the projects to be released, though Erwin stated that their work will be able to reach a wider audience as well. “The content that we make can be infused with values and the things that pull us back together as a family and as Americans,” he said.
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