From Movie Web : "Jesus Revolution: Plot, Cast, Release Date, and Everything Else We Know"

Starring Kelsey Grammer and Joel Courtney, Jesus Revolution tells the story of the 1970s religious movement. Here's what to know!

Hippiedom and films go hand in hand and have ever since the counterculture first appeared. Think Easy Rider and Alice's Restaurant, which both released in 1969. However, marrying movie-making with hippiedom's spiritual side has always been a tougher sell. The impending release of Jesus Revolution represents the latest attempt to reconcile the two.

Jon Erwin and Brent McCorkle's drama about the Jesus movement that so energized young Christian believers in California during the 1970s stars a mix of Hollywood royalty and up-and-coming stars; the film is now in post-production and is slated for release early next year. Here's what we know.

Jesus Revolution: The Plot

Jesus Revolution tells the true story of Greg Laurie, who converted to Christianity in the late 1960s and went on to be influenced by the burgeoning Jesus movement. Laurie was also influenced by pastor Chuck Smith, who, in real life as in the film, opened the doors of his church to a new generation of hippie followers and was supportive of the formation of communes that would eventually span the length and breadth of southern California in particular.

As one might expect of a faith-based film, Jesus Revolution leans heavily into the social tensions that were prevalent in the United States at the end of the 1960s. The friction caused by the cultural and generational clashes between generations, ethnicities, and people of differing political beliefs forms the backdrop. The most obvious example is the clash in sensibilities between the hippies who suddenly begin attending Smith's church and the buttoned-up, conservative congregants who take umbrage at their barefooted appearance.

However, if the trailer is any indication, the film aims squarely for feel-good territory. Will the film gloss over some of the more problematic aspects of Smith's ideas, including his belief that the world would end in 1981, that homosexuality was "perverted," and that 9/11 represented God's wrath? While the film will surely find a ready audience among those who agree with its message, the wider appeal of charismatic Christianity of this sort on the big screen remains to be seen.

Jesus Revolution: The Cast

Lionsgate

Heading the cast as Greg Laurie is Joel Courtney, who burst onto the scene as Joe in J.J. Abrams' paean to early 1980s-era Steven Spielberg movies, Super 8 (2011). Jesus Revolution represents a return to the big screen for Courtney after a quiet 2022, and also Courtney's first foray into straight drama as an adult actor after a series of turns in teen comedies such as The Kissing Booth trilogy and horror films such as 2020's cult supernatural drama The Empty Man.

Kelsey Grammer also stars as Chuck Smith. Grammer has been busy in recent months, with a slew of appearances in independent films such as producer Rachel Winter's (Dallas Buyers Club) directorial debut The Space Between, as well as Civil Rights Movement drama Charming the Hearts of Men, and voice work for the animated movie co-written by Guillermo del Toro, Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans. The big news for Grammer fans, of course, is that the new Frasier series has been given the go-ahead, and rehearsals are due to begin in February, albeit without David Hyde Pierce as Niles.

Also, Jonathan Roumie stars as Lonnie Frisbee, one of the key individuals in the Jesus movement whose chance meeting with Smith helped spur the movement. Roumie has appeared in supporting roles in a wide-ranging selection of primetime TV dramas, including The Good Wife, NCIS: Los Angeles, The Mindy Project, and Chicago Med.

However, it is for his work in the role of Jesus in the crowdfunded historical drama The Chosen that Roumie is best known. The series, which began in 2019, has already been translated into over 60 languages, and the third season premiered last month and is dropping throughout December. Roumie is also due to voice the character of Merenkhare in Night at the Museum: Kanmunrah Rises Again, the fourth installment in the franchise (and the first to be animated), which also features the voice talents of High School Musical alum Joshua Bassett, Community star Gillian Jacobs, and Good Omens' Jack Whitehall, and premieres on Disney+ this Friday.

Other cast members include Anna Grace Barlow (The Big Leap, The Never List); Kimberly Williams-Paisley (Father of the Bride, Two and a Half Men); Julia Campbell (Tell Me a Story, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation); Nic Bishop (Body of Proof, Legends of Tomorrow); and DeVon Franklin (The Pursuit of Happyness).

Release Date

Lionsgate

Filming for Jesus Revolution took place in Alabama earlier this year, with Grammer being cast as a late replacement for Jim Gaffigan. The film is scheduled for release in the United States on February 24, 2023.

From ScreenRant : "Half Baked 2 Sees Return of Original Movie's Mary Jane Actor"

Half Baked 2, the upcoming sequel to the 1998 stoner comedy, will feature Rachel True reprising her original role as Mary Jane Potman.

The upcoming stoner comedy sequel Half Baked 2 will feature Rachel True reprising her original role. True played Mary Jane Potman in the 1998 film Half Baked, which starred Dave Chappelle, Jim Breuer, Harland Williams, and Guillermo Díaz, as a group of friends who love smoking weed. She is the love interest for Chappelle's character Thurgood, which presents a problem considering the fact that - despite her suggestive name - she is vehemently anti-drug.

Per Deadline, Half Baked 2 has just wrapped production in Baton Rouge. The film, which will be released non-theatrically in 2023, has announced that True (who is perhaps known for her role in the 1996 teen film The Craft) officially reprised the role of Mary Jane. So far, she is the only returning cast member who has been confirmed to appear in a major role, though Williams is also set to make a special appearance.

Everything We Know About Half Baked 2

Although Williams and True are the only official onscreen connection to the original Half Baked, the film will pay homage in its storyline as well. The plot will follow JR (Dexter Darden of Peacock's Saved by the Bell reboot series), the son of Thurgood Jenkins. After his friend Bruce (Joel Courtney of the Kissing Booth trilogy) dies from smoking an extremely powerful joint, he teams up with his friends Miles (Moses Storm of Unfriended) and Cori (Ramona Young of Netflix's Never Have I Ever) to gather enough money to bury him.

The film was helmed by Naked and A Haunted House director Michael Tiddes, who has collaborated with star Marlon Wayans no fewer than five times, originally starting as an assistant on such films as White Chicks and Little Man. Screenwriter Justin Hires has a similar pedigree, with experience as an actor in projects like 21 Jump Street, Key and Peele, and the Rush Hour TV adaptation. The cast also includes Ash Santos of American Horror Story and David Koechner of The Office and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, with additional special appearances by comedian Jeff Ross and Malcolm in the Middle star Frankie Muniz.

Why Isn't Half Baked 2 Getting a Theatrical Release?

Many-years-later sequels are quite common in modern filmmaking, including such disparate entries as Top Gun: Maverick, Scream 2022, and next year's House Party reboot. However, in spite of this, there are still currently no plans for Half Baked 2 to screen in theaters. Most likely the reason for this is the fact that the original film was a cult hit that earned most of its notoriety on home video. The film made a respectable $17.5 million in the theaters, but it barely doubled its $8 million budget, only grossing at No. 6 on its opening weekend behind titles like the megahit Titanic and Good Will Hunting. Likely, producers want to see if the sequel can replicate the original film's model as quickly and directly as possible, rather than take a risk on a costly theatrical showing.

From Deadline : "‘Half Baked 2’: Rachel True Returns, Dexter Darden Joins Cast & More"

EXCLUSIVE: Half Baked 2, the sequel to the 1998 cult comedy, has finished production in Baton Rouge, LA with Rachel True reprising her role as Mary Jane in the Universal 1440 Entertainment title. Also joining the cast is Maze Runner‘s Dexter Darden, as well as Moses Storm (Moses Storm: Trash White, Everything’s Trash), Ramona Young (Never Have I Ever), Ash Santos (True Story), Joel Courtney (Super 8, The Kissing Booth), and David Koechner (Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.

The film will also feature special appearances by Frankie Muniz, comedian Jeff Ross and original cast member Harland Williams.

Half Baked 2 follows Thurgood Jenkins’ son JR (Darden) and his best friends Miles (Storm) and Cori (Young) as they search for the money to bury their other best friend Bruce (Courtney), who died from smoking the most powerful joint in the world. Michael Tiddes (Sextuplets, Naked) directs off a script by Justin Hires (MacGyver, 21 Jump Street). Pic is produced by Griff Furst (Where All Light Tends to Go, 57 Seconds).

“We are thrilled to announce the next chapter in Half Baked, with new characters and a hilarious story that is sure to satisfy followers of the original film while attracting a whole new generation of fans,” said Glenn Ross, General Manager and Executive Vice President, Universal 1440 Entertainment. “The sequel features a talented young cast alongside Rachel True reprising her role as the fan-favorite ‘Mary Jane.’ We can’t wait to show audiences where the story goes from here.”

Half Baked 2 will debut on non-theatrical platforms worldwide next year from Universal 1440 Entertainment, a production arm of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group. The original 1998 movie, which also starred Dave Chappelle and Jim Breuer, grossed $17.4M at the domestic box office.

From Crosswalk : "7 Upcoming Christian Movies We're Eagerly Anticipating"

Christian movies historically have been an easy target for film critics.

For starters, those critics often don't share the same worldview as the filmmakers. Additionally, some of the movies contain an element of “cheesiness” that can make you cringe. (This, by the way, is true of many mainstream movies, too).

The good news? Today’s Christian movies are light years ahead of the ones of yesteryear -- and in many cases on the same level as Hollywood hits. In 2015, a Christian movie (War Room) climbed to No. 1 at the box office for one weekend. In 2020, another one (Breakthrough) received an Oscar nomination.

A good Christian movie not only entertains but also inspires and convicts. It can even make you cry. 

The next few months have a lot to offer for fans of Christian movies, with seven excellent choices by some of the industry’s top filmmakers.

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Jesus Revolution (Feb. 22) -- A California pastor named Chuck Smith welcomes hippies into his church, helping spark the Jesus Movement. The film is based on the true story of Lonnie Frisbee and Greg Laurie, two young men of the 1960s/70s who found spiritual freedom in Christ as the culture around them embraced deviancy. (Laurie released a 2018 book of the same name.) It stars Jonathan Roumie (The Chosen) as Frisbee, Kelsey Grammer as Smith and Joel Courtney as Laurie. Jon Erwin (I Can Only Imagine) and Brent McCorkle (Unconditional) co-directed it. “The message for today is that there's hope,” Erwin told Crosswalk. “All that we're going through right now -- we faced a similar time and a similar moment [years ago]. And God showed up in this nation.” Visit JesusRevolution.Movie.

From CHVN Radio : "WATCH: Jesus Revolution depicts hippies colliding with God's love"

While the new movie Jesus Revolution is set in the 70s, the actors are hoping it inspires a movement in our time. 

The movie stars Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus in The Chosen TV series. It also has Kelsey Grammar, the star of Frasier as the lead pastor of a conservative and dwindling church. 

"If you want to reach my people, you're going to have to speak in a language they understand," says Roumie's character Lonnie Frisbee in the trailer, referring to his hippie friends. 

In the movie, Roumie's character, Frisbee, is based on a real man who was known as an American Charismatic evangelist in the late 60s and early 70s. 

"I hope people feel tearful and joyful all at the same time," says Grammar who plays Pastor Chuck Smith. "And maybe inspired to rediscover their own faith."

The film was produced by Lionsgate and will be released in theatres in February 2023. 

"Experience the heart of this story: how an unexpected counterculture crusade of the time—a Jesus Movement—changed the course of history," says Roumie on Facebook.

From Collider : "'Jesus Revolution' Trailer Shows a Dying Church Revived By a Hippie Congregation"

From the creators of 2018's I Can Only Imagine comes Jesus Revolution, a story of breaking down preconceived notions and opening hearts, minds, and doors during a time of a national and generational divide. Lionsgate has released a brand-new trailer for the upcoming film based on true events ahead of its wide release only in theaters on Friday, February 24, 2023.

The story of Jesus Revolution follows a young man named Greg Laurie (Joel Courtney) as he tries to find a meaning in his life in 1970. He meets two men that he hopes can help him: Lonnie Frisbee (Jonathan Roumie), a charismatic hippie-street-preacher and Pastor Chuck Smith (Kelsey Grammer), a man with a poor opinion of hippies who is trying to find a way to grow his failing church. Despite their differences, the two preachers come together with the plan to rejuvenate Chuck's church by bringing hippies to the sermons, which is a culture shock to many of the more conservative churchgoers. As time goes on, the two sides start to come together, leading to a new movement described as a "revival of radical and newfound love." This movement was dubbed by TIME Magazine in 1971 as a "Jesus Revolution."

The new trailer showcases the church and Lonnie coming together and hatching their plans of bringing hippies to his church. We see many of the regulars that attend the languishing church raise their concerns about the new attendees, though Chuck makes it very clear that the door that he has opened for them is also open for anyone that wants to leave. He says his church is a place for only those who might feel misunderstood or judged, with the 2-minute and 5-second trailer ends with a voice-over from Chuck where he says "This is your home, and I want you to tell all your friends about it."

In addition to Roumie, Grammer, and Courtney, the cast of Jesus Revolution also includes Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Anna Grace Barlow, among others. The film is directed by Jon Erwin and Brent McCorkle. Erwin also serves as a writer on the film, having co-written the screenplay alongside Jon Gunn.

Jesus Revolution will premiere in theaters on February 24, 2023. The film will also have a special preview event on Wednesday, February 22. You can check out the new trailer and poster for the upcoming film and read its official synopsis below.

From Coming Soon : "Jesus Revolution Trailer Starring Kelsey Grammer & Joel Courtney"

The official Jesus Revolution trailer and poster for the upcoming film are out, detailing the story of America’s spiritual revival in the 1970s.

Jesus Revolution stars Joel Courtney, Jonathan Roumie, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Anna Grace Barlow, and Kelsey Grammer. Courtney leads the film as a young Greg Laurie, a man who meets a charismatic hippie-street-preacher (Roumie), and together, the pair kickstart what is later known as a “Jesus Revolution” all across America.

Check out the Jesus Revolution trailer below:

The film is directed by Jon Erwin and Brent McCorkle, with a screenplay written by Erin and McCorkle as well.

“In the 1970s, young Greg Laurie (Joel Courtney) is searching for all the right things in all the wrong places: until he meets Lonnie Frisbee (Jonathan Roumie), a charismatic hippie-street-preacher,” reads the official synopsis for the film. “Together with Pastor Chuck Smith (Kelsey Grammer), they open the doors of Smith’s languishing church to an unexpected revival of radical and newfound love, leading to what TIME Magazine dubbed a Jesus Revolution”

Jesus Revolution will release exclusively in theaters on February 24, 2023.