Actor Kirk Cameron blasted Hollywood studios that passed on distributing his new movie “Lifemark” with its message about “life and adoption,” calling it pure “cowardice.”
The 51-year-old actor spoke with The Daily Wire Thursday regarding his new film about adoption and said he was amazed at the reaction from Hollywood studios, even its “so-called faith divisions” who he said rejected this film. The movie is about, “David’s comfortable world is turned upside down when his birth mother unexpectedly reaches out to him, longing to meet the 18-year-old son she’s only held once. With the encouragement of his adoptive parents, David embarks on a journey of discovery that leads to a staggering truth from his past.”
It stars Cameron, Rebecca Rogers Nelson, Raphael Ruggero, Dawn Long, Justin Sterner, Marisa Hampton, and Alex Kendrick — with Cameron and Kendrick also serving as executive producers. It comes just months after the U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade as a result of the decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The ruling recognizes that there is no constitutional right to an abortion and returns the issue to the states, as The Daily Wire previously reported.
“I thought it was amazing,” Cameron shared. “You know, that’s just good old-fashion cowardice. You know, even the so-called faith divisions of studios would rather pass from tens of millions of dollars and support horror, violence, and drag queen movies than risk doing anything that celebrates life.”
Cameron asked what the studios were afraid of, noting how his new film has “a hint of the subject of abortion” near the very end of the movie — but explained that “this is a movie about life and adoption and love and reconciliation and all that. It isn’t about abortion.”
“But they [Hollywood] won’t risk anything that even smells like it,” he added. “And they’ll pass up tens of millions of dollars. I just think that that shows there’s not a lot of backbone there.”
The “Fireproof” star’s comments echoed those of director Alex Kendrick, who said that studios that he’s worked with many times in the past wanted nothing to do with this film.
“They said, ‘We’re not releasing this one because we’re scared of the response,’” Kendrick told Christian Headlines.
“It was interesting when we shot this film, several of the studios that have courted us in the past, and [have] wanted us to go with them as distributors, they all turned down this film,” he added. “… And so we said — it’s okay, so we would go to a second and a third studio, and they all said, ‘We want anything you got but this one.’ Because they’re saying this is such a touchy subject and a battleground.”
“And we said, ‘Well, we cannot be ashamed or afraid to share the truth regarding this subject, to share a true story,’” Kendrick continued. “It’s hard to argue with a true story. And so we said, ‘We’re going to do this with grace, we’re going to do this with love, but with truth.’”
“Lifemark” hits theaters September 9. For tickets and more information go to Lifemark.com.
Related: Amy Schumer, Chelsea Handler And More Stars React To Overturn Of Roe V. Wade