Neal McDonough made a career out of playing tough characters. From Lieutenant Lynn &#8220;Buck&#8221; Compton in “Band of Brothers” to the steely villain Michael Beck in “Yellowstone,” McDonough always seems to play someone who sends a chill up your spine.
But offscreen, McDonough’s the polar opposite: warm and kind, committed to faith and family, and on a quest to make movies that touch audiences on a deeper level.
In an exclusive interview with The Daily Wire, McDonough opened up about his new film, “Guns N’ Moses,” an independent thriller about a group of orthodox Jews grappling with the aftermath of an attack on their synagogue. He hopes the film will inspire viewers to find connections with those who don’t share their beliefs, and realize that we all have more in common than we may otherwise think.
The actor also discussed why he believes smaller, independent films are filling a gap left by Hollywood.
“Guns N’ Moses” was shot in just 20 days, but boasts impressive production values. McDonough thrives on the challenges of indie filmmaking because, he said, that’s where meaningful stories still get told.
“You couldn’t make a film like this for a big studio because it really goes out on a limb and talks about things,” he explained. “The studios…they’re much more tentpole films now…big, huge, action blockbuster types of films. And they’ve really kind of gotten away from the crafting of ideas for smaller films.”
For McDonough, those smaller films are where the important conversations happen.
“Films like this make you realize that we need to be nicer to each other,” he said. “We can all have our different beliefs, but we all believe in the same all-powerful being that created all of us. So, we should be rooting for each other more.”
A devout Catholic, McDonough said he’s experienced firsthand how speaking openly about faith can bring backlash in the industry. He <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/why-neal-mcdonough-fired-scoundrels-094213107.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made headlines</a> in 2010 after being let go from the ABC drama “Scoundrels” for refusing to participate in intimate scenes or kiss another woman.
“Whenever you stand up for your faith, especially in a positive way, there will be so many people who are ready to take you down,” he said. “They have to have a fight over it. ‘My faith is better than your faith. My color is better than your color. My bank account is bigger than yours.’ It’s kind of exhausting.”
He referenced John Lennon’s “Imagine” as an idealistic vision, but acknowledged that it’s not necessarily realistic.
“Films like Guns N’ Moses talk about the fact that it’s not a better place at times,” he said. “There is hate and there are problems within faiths. Especially now with what’s going on with Israel and the Middle East…it’s really a hard time to figure out: well, what is the truth?”
For McDonough, the answer remains the same. “The truth is always what God says to me in particular. It’s what is God’s idea? God’s idea is we must love each other and we must honor God. Those are the two big things that we’re supposed to be doing.”
In recent years, McDonough and his wife, Ruvé McDonough, a South African model he met while filming “Band of Brothers,” have been producing their own slate of films. Their latest project, “The Last Rodeo,” recently hit top spots on Amazon and Apple.
“People really want to see films that make you think about faith, make you think about Him,” McDonough said. “Doesn’t matter if you’re a Jew or a Christian or Muslim or agnostic or whatever. It makes you think, how can I be a bit better of a person as a husband or as a father, as a coworker, as whatever?”
“A lot of films nowadays don’t allow you to think. They give you the choices and they’ll play the music to swell up to make you think that way. Well, that’s manufacturing a thought process,” he added.
The Hollywood veteran believes films like “Guns N’ Moses” push back against that formula.
“It’s pimples and all. Here’s the film. It’s going to make you think about what your place is in life and how you can make it a better place for everyone else around you.”
For McDonough, it all circles back to the values he holds dear: faith, family, and finding life’s deeper meaning.
“America is the United States of America, not the divided States of America,” he said. “Our country was built upon faith…a Judeo-Christian faith is what it was built upon. It mentions God four times in the Declaration of Independence. It’s on our money. It’s everywhere we go.”
“But somehow we veer away from it because of the temptations that are in front of us. A bigger car, nicer house…You’ll never find happiness if you’re chasing that,” the actor said.
He admitted he used to chase those things himself until he shifted focus to what truly matters.
“Once you start chasing the right thing, two things are going to happen,” he explained. “You’re going to be much more fulfilled because you’re doing the right thing for your Heavenly Father. But it’s also gonna be a lot of people out there who are gonna want to take you down and say horrible things.”
Yet he remains committed to telling stories that encourage audiences to reflect and grow.
“We’re gonna keep on making films like ‘Guns N’ Moses.’ We’re gonna keep on doing films like ‘The Last Rodeo,’ which is killing it right now on video. People want to see films that they can bring the whole family to look at, and have a real discussion about a movie and how we can be better as a society.”
McDonough also dismissed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hollywood-lost-the-plot-now-rebels-are-making-movies-great-again" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the notion</a> that conservative Christians are at odds Jewish people. “That’s not true,” he said flatly. “America is really a Judeo-Christian society. I lived in Hancock Park for a long time and all our neighbors were orthodox Jews. And boy, we got along quite well.”
He called the faith traditions “almost exactly identical” in their values and said true believers in any faith respect each other.
“It’s the ones who don’t 100% believe in Him first, me second…then it becomes about you and your personal opinions. Well, it shouldn’t really be your personal opinion. It should be your personal acceptance of God, acceptance of other beliefs, acceptance of everyone.”
“No one is exactly the same. So why should one person think that their belief or their color or their money is better than somebody else’s? It’s all about faith and He built us to love each other, not to hate each other.”
That, McDonough said, is the message at the heart of “Guns N’ Moses.”
“We’re all in this together,” he said. “Shouldn’t we just enjoy each other more instead of hating each other more?”
Despite Hollywood’s frequent hostility toward faith-based storytelling, McDonough is hopeful that independent films can help fill the cultural gap.
“I think Hollywood has really veered off from making films that can help change your life in a better way to making films that can change your life through darkness and through all kinds of crazy stuff. And I’m guilty of being part of a lot of those films,” he admitted. “I have to make a living as an actor.”
“But when it has our name on it for the McDonough Company, you know it’s gonna be a film that is about family, it’s about faith, and it’s about doing the right thing. And ‘Guns N’ Moses’ goes right along with that.”
He’s convinced audiences are hungry for it. “There has to be a common ground,” McDonough said. “We can come together and allow each other to have our different beliefs… and maybe we can enjoy some together and break bread together and have a good conversation.” And that’s the type of filmmaking he intends to keep pursuing.
“Guns N’ Moses” hits theaters July 18. “It’s an important movie,” McDonough said. “You guys gotta go out there and see it.”

Los Angeles Premiere Of “The Shift”

Neal McDonough Talks Faith, Family, And Why He Wants His Movies To Get People Talking

Angel Studios

Catholicism

Faith

Hollywood

Movies

Neal McDonough

There is something chilling about watching Angel Studios’ documentary “Live Not By Lies!” 
It is not merely a recounting of history, though it does that with remarkable clarity — testimonies of men and women who survived totalitarian communism in Eastern Europe echo across the decades with a resonance we ignore at our peril. 
What is most unsettling about the adaptation of Rod Dreher’s bestselling work, however, is the gnawing realization that their warnings have already become our reality.
The film introduces us to brave Christians who, under Soviet rule, faced surveillance, intimidation, and prison — simply for refusing to pretend that evil was good. As they share their stories, one can’t help but feel the familiarity of it all: the demand to affirm ideologies we know to be false, the punishment for dissent, the slow corrosion of the conscience. The question is no longer “Could it happen here?” but “How far has it already gone?”
The same dynamic Dreher exposes—state and cultural forces colluding to crush dissent — is alive in the contemporary West.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Live Not By Lies | Official Trailer | Streaming April 1 | Angel Studios" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lJh8wJKAnm8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Consider Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, a woman who was arrested not for vandalizing property or committing acts of violence, but for the silent crime of praying in her head near an abortion facility in Birmingham, England. No slogans, no placards — only the private communion of her thoughts with God. She was questioned by police, searched, charged, and brought before a court. She was found innocent – but promptly arrested again weeks later for the very same thoughts in the very same place. Thankfully, after a long and grueling investigation, Isabel won compensation from the police with support from ADF International.
Then there’s Adam Smith-Connor, an army veteran who stood silently and imperceptibly in prayer near another facility in Bournemouth in memory of his lost son. He too was interrogated by police and criminalized for the contents of his conscience – worse, leading to a conviction and a criminal charge. Adam was ordered to pay £9,000 to the court – amounting to perhaps the most expensive three minute prayer in history.
<div id="attachment_624329" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-624329" class="size-large wp-image-624329" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/09/Screen-Shot-2023-09-22-at-12.25.15-PM-1024x574.png" alt="Credit: Alliance Defending Freedom." width="1024" height="574" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/09/Screen-Shot-2023-09-22-at-12.25.15-PM-1024x574.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/09/Screen-Shot-2023-09-22-at-12.25.15-PM-300x168.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/09/Screen-Shot-2023-09-22-at-12.25.15-PM-768x431.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/09/Screen-Shot-2023-09-22-at-12.25.15-PM-1536x861.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/09/Screen-Shot-2023-09-22-at-12.25.15-PM-2048x1148.png 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Credit: Alliance Defending Freedom.</div>
These cases are the canaries in the coal mine. They warn us of what happens when the state arrogates to itself the power to police interior conviction. In the novel “1984,” George Orwell called this “thoughtcrime.” Today in Britain, it is called a “buffer zone,” but the principle is identical: certain beliefs must not merely be suppressed — they must be eradicated from the public square.
“Live Not By Lies!” is a clarion call to rediscover moral courage. Dreher draws on the legacy of Vaclav Havel, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, and countless ordinary Christians who refused to live by the lie. They were forced to pretend that the Party was infallible, that Marxism was inevitable, that the State was God. Today, our cultural commissars demand our allegiance to a different set of dogmas — that biological sex is a construct, that unborn life is disposable, that faith belongs behind closed doors and never in public life. But the impulse is the same: bow, or be broken.
The documentary is a reminder that resistance begins not with grand gestures, but with the refusal to speak untruth. When the authorities came to interrogate believers in Prague, they demanded not only compliance but confession: “Say that you agree. Say that you believe.” Many would not. For this, they lost jobs, were blacklisted, even imprisoned. Yet their refusal to say what they did not believe was the seed from which freedom eventually grew.
<div id="attachment_943085" style="width: 417px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.angel.com/watch/live-not-by-lies"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-943085" class="size-large wp-image-943085" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MixCollage-04-Jul-2025-12-53-PM-1283-407x576.jpg" alt="Angel Studios" width="407" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MixCollage-04-Jul-2025-12-53-PM-1283-407x576.jpg 407w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MixCollage-04-Jul-2025-12-53-PM-1283-212x300.jpg 212w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MixCollage-04-Jul-2025-12-53-PM-1283-768x1086.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MixCollage-04-Jul-2025-12-53-PM-1283-1086x1536.jpg 1086w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MixCollage-04-Jul-2025-12-53-PM-1283-1448x2048.jpg 1448w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MixCollage-04-Jul-2025-12-53-PM-1283-scaled.jpg 1810w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 407px) 100vw, 407px" /></a>Angel Studios</div>
How many today are willing to pay that price? We like to imagine ourselves as different — more sophisticated, more democratic, more tolerant. But the evidence mounts that our culture is simply addicted to a softer form of totalism: enforced conformity through the threat of professional ruin, reputational assassination, or — if you dare to pray silently — criminal prosecution.
There is no more potent illustration of this drift than the prosecutions of Vaughan-Spruce and Smith-Connor. In each case, the state claimed to be protecting “vulnerable women,” yet no evidence was presented that these individuals harassed or intimidated anyone. The real issue was that their mere presence — and their silent prayers — expressed a conviction the state deems intolerable. The Soviets called it “anti-Soviet agitation.” We call it “interference.” In both cases, the thought itself is the crime.
Some will say these comparisons are overwrought. They are not. For the Christian who believes God is Lord of both conscience and public life, there is no partition between belief and expression. The attempt to criminalize that wholeness — to tell a person they may think but not manifest their convictions — is precisely what totalitarian systems have always done. Dreher’s work, and this film, make clear that it begins with a creeping fear to speak, and ends with a culture that cannot remember how.
If we are to resist, we must start by telling the truth. No law should compel a citizen to lie — whether about the humanity of the unborn, the nature of marriage, or the sanctity of prayer. And no government has authority over the secret dialogue of the soul with its Creator. To surrender this is to surrender everything.
* * *
Lois McLatchie Miller (@LoisMcLatch) is a Scottish commentator and Senior Legal Communications Officer for Alliance Defending Freedom UK.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Propaganda poster : Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Lenin and Stalin, 1953.

‘Live Not By Lies’: A Documentary Whose Warnings We Dare Not Ignore

Books

Communism

Documentaries

England

Entertainment

Great Britain

The animated, bible-based film “The King of Kings” managed to perform almost as well in its second week as it did during the film’s premiere, bringing in $17.2 million over Easter weekend after a record-breaking $19.1 million debut.
The past weekend&#8217;s earnings represent only a 10% decrease in revenue, which is among the 50 lowest percentage revenue drops for any movie that had a theatrical opening, per <a href="https://screenrant.com/king-of-kings-movie-low-second-week-drop-box-office-milestone/">Screen Rant</a>. This is significantly better than the industry average second-weekend drop, which usually ranges from 50% to 60%.
“The King of Kings” came in third at the box office behind “Sinners” and “A Minecraft Movie.” The film has made just over $45 million, making it the second-highest-grossing movie for Angel Studios, behind 2023’s unexpected hit, “Sound of Freedom.”
In its debut weekend, “The King of Kings” also broke the record set by “The Prince of Egypt” for most money earned by an animated biblical film during its premiere. “The Prince of Egypt” (1998) went on to earn over $100 million domestically.
“The King of Kings” has been a massive hit with critics and audiences, too. It currently has a 65% critic score and 98% audience score on <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_king_of_kings">Rotten Tomatoes</a>.
The reviewer from The San Francisco Chronicle noted the film’s “whimsical Dickensian touches.” &#8220;The King of Kings” is based on Charles Dickens&#8217; book, “The Life of Our Lord.” He also called the movie “amusing and possibly enlightening Easter entertainment for younger children.”
Most moviegoers were generous with their praise. One reviewer said it was “a visually captivating animated film that brings the story of Jesus to life through the imaginative lens of Charles Dickens narrating to his son.”
“The film’s heartfelt message of hope, love, and redemption resonates strongly with faith-based audiences. A great film for all !! Tastefully done,” he added.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="The King Of Kings | Official Trailer | In theaters April 11 | Angel Studios" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HDhet3EVRac?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Another agreed, writing, “This was so captivating! Entertains adults and kids. It is full of truth and light. I’d recommend to everyone!”
A synopsis of the film says, “A father tells his son the greatest story ever told, and what begins as a bedtime tale becomes a life-changing journey. Through vivid imagination, the boy walks alongside Jesus, witnessing His miracles, facing His trials, and understanding His ultimate sacrifice. The King of Kings invites us to rediscover the enduring power of hope, love, and redemption through the eyes of a child.”

King of Kings

‘King Of Kings’ Holds Strong Over Easter Weekend With Surprisingly Low Revenue Drop

'King Of Kings' Holds Strong Over Easter Weekend With Surprisingly Low Revenue Drop

Bible

Box Office

U.S.

The biblical-based film “The King of Kings” was released on Friday, and it’s already expected to break records. The Angel Studios production racked up $14.6 million in ticket pre-sales, per <a href="https://deadline.com/2025/04/king-of-kings-box-office-presales-1236366250/">Deadline</a>, putting it on track to surpass the massively successful DreamWorks film &#8220;The Prince of Egypt&#8221; (1998), which currently holds the title of best opening for a biblical film at $14.5 million. 
The outlet noted that one million tickets were sold in advance, thanks in large part to the studio’s “Kids go Free” campaign, which allows one free kid’s ticket for every adult ticket purchased.
“The King of Kings” debuts in more than 3,200 locations nationwide this weekend. A synopsis <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TaylorTheater/photos/a-father-tells-his-son-the-greatest-story-ever-told-and-what-begins-as-a-bedtime/1195472525696747/?_rdr">says</a>, “A father tells his son the greatest story ever told, and what begins as a bedtime tale becomes a life-changing journey. Through vivid imagination, the boy walks alongside Jesus, witnessing His miracles, facing His trials, and understanding His ultimate sacrifice. The King of Kings invites us to rediscover the enduring power of hope, love, and redemption through the eyes of a child.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="The King Of Kings | Official Trailer | In theaters April 11 | Angel Studios" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HDhet3EVRac?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
“Just like the Prince of Egypt drew families to theaters, our Angel Guild has supported this film through presales and strong word-of-mouth since it entered the Angel ecosystem,” Brandon Purdie, Global Head of Theatrical Distribution &amp; Brand Development at Angel told Deadline. “Charles Dickens had a tradition of sharing this story with his family and we hope that The King of Kings will become a part of the Easter tradition for families around the globe.”
The Daily Wire was on the red carpet at the premiere this week to speak with the film’s creators and stars about working on the faith-based film. 
When asked what it’s like bringing the Bible back to the big screen, director Seong-Ho Jang said (via translator), “I felt the duty as a Christian to spread His word,” the director said, expressing surprise that no major studios were willing to take on the task. 
Jang said he considered it a “miracle” that major stars such as Uma Thurman and Pierce Brosnan signed on for the project. 
Voice actor Jim Cummings, who voices Pharisee Hillel, said he was convinced to do the project when his agent pitched it as “the greatest story ever told.” He also mentioned being an altar boy from way back, which he said made the project even more important to him. Cummings is best known for being the official voice of Winnie the Pooh since 1988. 
“The King of Kings” currently has a 66% critic score and 96% audience rating on review aggregator <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_king_of_kings">Rotten Tomatoes</a>. 
The reviewer from The San Francisco Chronicle noted the film’s “whimsical Dickensian touches,” which relates back to the fact that “The King of Kings” is based on the Charles Dickens book, “The Life of Our Lord.” He also called the movie “amusing and possibly enlightening Easter entertainment for younger children.”
Most moviegoers were effusive with their praise. One reviewer said it was “a visually captivating animated film that brings the story of Jesus to life through the imaginative lens of Charles Dickens narrating to his son.” 
“The film&#8217;s heartfelt message of hope, love, and redemption resonates strongly with faith-based audiences. A great film for all !! Tastefully done,” he added.
Another agreed, writing, “This was so captivating! Entertains adults and kids. It is full of truth and light. I&#8217;d recommend to everyone!”

Animated Biblical Film ‘The King Of Kings’ Poised To Break Box Office Records

Animated Biblical Film 'The King Of Kings' Poised To Break Box Office Records

Animation

Faith-based content has exploded in new media and is increasingly piercing through mainstream culture, culminating in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rosary-in-a-year-podcast-debuts-at-number-one-topping-joe-rogan-dateline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christian podcast</a> overtaking top-dog &#8220;The Joe Rogan Experience&#8221; on Apple podcasts.
The Daily Wire has been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gods-not-done-with-our-country-the-faith-based-boom-in-new-media" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tracking</a> the faith-based trend for a few years now, which included the rise of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1887889674971108" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Angel Studios</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-couple-more-people-in-heaven-would-be-nice-hallow-ceo-talks-success-of-catholic-app-rise-of-faith-based-content" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prayer and meditation app Hallow</a> &#8212; and Christian content has only continued to grow, specifically making massive inroads in the podcast space, where there are no gatekeepers.
Ascension&#8217;s prayer-focused podcast &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rosary-in-a-year-podcast-debuts-at-number-one-topping-joe-rogan-dateline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Rosary in a Year</a>,&#8221; which is hosted by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ascensionpress/reel/DEfyGOoyaH8/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Father Mark-Mary Ames</a>, recently debuted at No. 1 on the Apple podcast charts in all categories, topping even podcast behemoth Joe Rogan, prompting celebratory and good-natured headlines about &#8220;Rosary over Rogan.&#8221;
“I think there are a lot of people out there who are serious about their faith and they&#8217;re hungry and they&#8217;re thirsty for more, and so when there are resources out there that are substantial, they really are drawn to them,&#8221; Fr. Mark-Mary told The Daily Wire in an interview on Monday.
&#8220;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-rosary-in-a-year-with-fr-mark-mary-ames/id1776236328" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Rosary in a Year</a>&#8221; follows Ascension&#8217;s breakout hit from 2021, &#8220;The Bible in a Year&#8221; podcast, which is hosted by a Father Mike Schmitz, a charismatic priest serving in Minnesota. The listenership for &#8220;Bible in a Year&#8221; is massive, garnering well over 700 million downloads; “Rosary in A Year” could be on track for similar numbers. After debuting in the top spot on the Apple charts, it still remains in the <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/charts">top ten</a>. 
And there are many other Christian shows gaining steam in the podcast space. Catholic discussion podcasts “Pints with Aquinas” and Bishop Robert Barron&#8217;s “The Word on Fire” each get millions of views just on Youtube, and Allie Beth Stuckey’s podcast “Relatable,&#8221; which mixes politics and Christianity, gets comparable numbers.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?_gl=1*1lail3r*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE3MzIyMDEyNDkuQ2owS0NRaUEwZnU1QmhEUUFSSXNBTVhVQk9JSkM0VnNsMFVreURxYXUxVWVEVWdOdjZkNzR2Y1pEeEZQeHVBcGl2R3BLaTdBMjVzT1p5TWFBdG1nRUFMd193Y0I.*_gcl_au*NDUxNDQ0NzYwLjE3MzY3ODI2NDY.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczNjk1NzYwMy4zNDAuMS4xNzM2OTU3NzE2LjYwLjAuMA.." target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?_gl%3D1*1lail3r*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE3MzIyMDEyNDkuQ2owS0NRaUEwZnU1QmhEUUFSSXNBTVhVQk9JSkM0VnNsMFVreURxYXUxVWVEVWdOdjZkNzR2Y1pEeEZQeHVBcGl2R3BLaTdBMjVzT1p5TWFBdG1nRUFMd193Y0I.*_gcl_au*NDUxNDQ0NzYwLjE3MzY3ODI2NDY.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczNjk1NzYwMy4zNDAuMS4xNzM2OTU3NzE2LjYwLjAuMA..&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1737044212122000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3mp2MZNwEXBk00lKmCtOss">CELEBRATE #47 WITH 47% OFF DAILYWIRE+ MEMBERSHIPS + A FREE $20 GIFT</a>
Hallow, which has been endorsed by stars like Mark Wahlberg and Gwen Stefani, also brings in staggering numbers. The app has over 22 million installs, and around Easter time last year, Hallow landed at the No. 1 spot on the Apple App Store – marking the first time a health, wellness, meditation, or religious app ever accomplished such a feat.
Stand-alone faith-based content is not where it stops, either. Reigning podcast king Joe Rogan has increasingly been bringing on Christian perspective guests. The same week &#8220;Rosary In a Year&#8221; was climbing the Apple charts, Rogan dropped a highly anticipated episode with biblical scholar <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwyAX69xG1Q" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wesley Huff</a>. Just one week later, he brought on outspoken Catholic actor Mel Gibson, who is currently working on a sequel to the massively successful “Passion of the Christ&#8221; film. Moreover, all of this comes as Rogan himself has drastically changed his tone toward Christianity, from openly hostile years ago to seemingly curious in 2025.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Mel Gibson on the Resurrection and Christ&#8217;s rising from the dead to walk among us again: &#8220;Buddha didn&#8217;t do that shit&#8221;. Classic. <a href="https://t.co/w0LRZj6UpY">pic.twitter.com/w0LRZj6UpY</a>
— Mike &#8220;The KingDude&#8221; Church, Talk Radio &amp; TV Host (@TheKingDude) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheKingDude/status/1877673271501426764?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
The discussion of faith on Rogan&#8217;s podcast is a prime example of faith breaking through the mainstream. &#8220;The Joe Rogan Experience&#8221; audience is mostly male and not particularly religious – and the reach is massive. It&#8217;s the most popular podcast on Spotify, with 14.5 million followers, and episodes average around 11 million views each. Huff&#8217;s episode is already nearing 5 million views on YouTube, and Gibson&#8217;s has racked up more than 7 million views.
Fr. Mark-Mary is not at all surprised about Christian content busting through the mainstream, and isn&#8217;t sure how anyone could be.
“I think it&#8217;s funny how people are kind of being surprised that some of this Christian content is resonating with people and doing so well,&#8221; he told The Daily Wire. &#8220;And it just strikes me as, it&#8217;s a very modern sort of worldview that wouldn&#8217;t view God as mainstream. God, who is the creator of everything &#8230; the idea of this being mainstream is the most reasonable thing in the world to me. And so, I&#8217;m grateful that it&#8217;s sort of breaking through again and reminding us that people are made by God, made for God.&#8221;
While the Christian content trend is undeniable, polling shows a more complex picture.
An average of all 2023 Gallup polling found that about <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/358364/religious-americans.aspx">22%</a> of Americans are not affiliated with religion, which is the highest it’s ever been. And nearly half of all Zoomers, those born between 1997 and 2012, are not religiously affiliated, according to a 2022 YouGov survey. But there&#8217;s also data showing a shift toward religion. A Springtide Research Institute survey from 2023, for example, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/is-gen-z-going-back-to-church">found</a> that a third of people aged 18 to 25 believe more than doubt the existence of a higher power. That’s an increase from only about a quarter in 2021. 
There are also other signs, like the significant spike in <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/bible-sales-booming-despite-decline-religiosity-first-time-buyer-says-its-about-finding-purpose" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bible sales</a>; or more anecdotal happenings, like the trend online of noticing <a href="https://x.com/JonnyRoot_/status/1874985779690352857">more</a> athletes talking about their <a href="https://cbn.com/news/entertainment/god-moving-football-players-point-jesus-and-field-giving-hope-fans">faith</a>, or arguably the most popular comedian in the mainstream right now, Nate Bargatze, being a clean Christian comic who speaks openly about his faith.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Speaking of vibe shifts, pretty wild to think that the top grossing comedian of 2024 is an unabashed Christian. <a href="https://t.co/EbMT8n6yke">pic.twitter.com/EbMT8n6yke</a>
— Megan Basham (@megbasham) <a href="https://twitter.com/megbasham/status/1877432032181072140?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
At the same time, though, it’s undeniable that there’s a more extreme push away from God in the mainstream. A prime example of that is the explosion and normalization of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-is-how-we-stop-the-festering-disease-called-onlyfans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">OnlyFans</a>, which is largely a subscription pornography site.
&#8220;Each person&#8217;s story certainly is going to be unique, but I do think that one thing that can bring many people to God &#8212; and it happens in individuals and it can happen in a society &#8212; is a distaste or a disillusionment of some of the other options out there,&#8221; Fr. Mark-Mary said of the polarity in the culture. 
&#8220;Okay, here are the proposed worldviews, here are the proposed lifestyles &#8212; many young people, or people in general, have tried it a little bit and they&#8217;re like, no, that is just not what I&#8217;m looking for,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;So they go looking somewhere else, and it brings them to the Lord, or to being more serious about their faith.&#8221;
&#8220;I do think that God uses that to bring people to Him,&#8221; Fr. Mark-Mary added.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-couple-more-people-in-heaven-would-be-nice-hallow-ceo-talks-success-of-catholic-app-rise-of-faith-based-content" target="_blank" rel="noopener">‘A Couple More People In Heaven Would Be Nice’: Hallow CEO Talks Success Of Catholic App, Rise Of Faith-Based Content</a>

Rosary in a Year, Joe Rogan

The Christian Content Takeover: Why ‘Rosary Over Rogan’ Is Bigger Than You Think

Christianity

Joe Rogan

Religion

World

Angel Studios said it has raised more than $11 million in just the first 5 days following the launch of a new fundraising campaign to “revolutionize entertainment.”
In a press release from the studio — that brought such hits as the faith-centered movies “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sound-of-freedom-beats-taylor-swift-to-finish-in-top-ten-at-2023-domestic-box-office">Sound of Freedom</a>” and “Cabrini” — it said that a new <a href="https://fansinvest.angel.com/">investment campaign</a> called <a href="https://usw2.nyl.as/t1/152/z15bycqxw9bdks98gnqfs3pj/1/a8d795f5db581da7c8f65722cb9905e35ffe90ccf523bac74c8e7a5d08a4e54a">Regulation A+ (Reg A+) </a>offering, has been a very successful way for the company to expand its Angel Guild, the community that drives the investment in projects to “distribute films and tv shows.” 
“In Hollywood, a handful of elites in an LA boardroom decide what the world watches. At Angel Studios, we believe viewers know best,” Jeffrey Harmon, co-founder and Chief Content Officer at Angel Studios, said.
“That’s why we can’t even consider a film unless the Angel Guild first greenlights it,” he added. “With over 360,000 members from 150+ countries, the Guild is already in the driver’s seat.”
“Through this offering, we hope to grow the Guild to over one million members,” Harmon continued. “We believe that reaching that milestone will make Angel Studios a true movement, a driving force in the entertainment landscape.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Angel Studios, Distributor of &#8216;Sound of Freedom,&#8217; Raises Over $10 Million for Crowdfunded Film and TV Projects <a href="https://t.co/9BvCfPSpf4">https://t.co/9BvCfPSpf4</a>
— Variety (@Variety) <a href="https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1831417839258931563?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2024</a></blockquote>
Some of the successes the Angel Guild is responsible for include the launch of films like “THE SHIFT,” and “AFTER DEATH,”  and TV series such as Tuttle Twins, Wingfeather Saga, Freelancers, and Young David, the press release noted.
Not to mention projects the studio said it’s working on for release later this year like the apocalyptic film/TV “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/studio-behind-sound-of-freedom-ready-to-release-new-apocalyptic-film-tv-series-homestead">HOMESTEAD</a>,” along with “at least seven movies and seven TV series planned for 2025,” the release noted.
Earlier this year, The DailyWire+ and Angel Studios <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dailywire-strikes-deal-with-angel-studios-for-sound-of-hope-get-showtimes-now">announced</a> a partnership to release Peacetree Productions’ inspirational film “Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot.” 
“We are thrilled to partner with Angel Studios, a company that not only shares our commitment to creating impactful and meaningful entertainment but also excels in doing so,” Jeremy Boreing, co-founder and co-CEO of The Daily Wire, said. 
“Speaking as the father of an adopted daughter myself, ‘Sound of Hope’ is truly inspirational,” he added. “We know it will resonate deeply with our audience – and far beyond – and has the power to make a true cultural impact for kids and families in crisis. We want millions to see this film.”
In 2023, Angel Studios was one of the top 10 studios at the US domestic box office, surpassing Amazon&#8217;s MGM and A24, with its audience-driven model, the release noted.
More information about becoming a member of the Angel Guild can be found <a href="https://fansinvest.angel.com/">here</a>.

Sound of Hope

Angel Studios Raises More Than $11 Million In New Efforts To ‘Revolutionize Entertainment’

Angel Studios Raises More Than $10 Million In New Efforts To 'Revolutionize Entertainment'

Celebrities

Sound of freedom

The Daily Wire

“Black Panther” star Letitia Wright — who is an executive producer of “<a href="https://www.angel.com/tickets/sound-of-hope-the-story-of-possum-trot?utm_source=The+Daily+Wire&amp;utm_medium=partner&amp;utm_campaign=dailywire&amp;utm_content=dailywire&amp;codes=DAILYWIRE&amp;oid=35&amp;_ef_transaction_id=dee764931a7745c491a7dab741acd5df&amp;promo=dailywire">Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot</a>” — blasted The Daily Wire’s partnership with Angel Studios to release the hit movie, prompting a direct response from Daily Wire co-CEO Jeremy Boreing. 
“<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/sound-of-hope">Sound of Hope</a>” was released in theaters on July 4 and quickly took off, surpassing box office expectations and bringing in $6.8 million over the holiday weekend. Despite the film’s success in bringing attention to the foster care crisis, some on the Left focused on Angel Studios’ partnership with The Daily Wire. Wright released a statement on social media, saying she is “in no way aligned or affiliated with” the conservative company. 
Multiple Hollywood news outlets, including Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly, and Variety, covered Wright’s rebuke of the Angel Studios-Daily Wire partnership. 
“To be clear, after we completed the production of this film, Angel Studios were brought on board to handle its distribution and they later partnered with The Daily Wire. That was not my decision, and I was not given an update or made aware of this decision. I am in no way aligned or affiliated with The Daily Wire,” Wright <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C9GWT_lIOXY/?hl=en&amp;img_index=3">wrote</a> on Instagram. “It’s a shame to see pockets of discourse online take a divisive political turn. This story isn’t about politics, it’s about children. Any conversation that detracts from that is unnecessary and harmful.” 
“I am thankful for all who want to positively champion this film and campaign to serve children,” Wright added. “However, I do not condone using this beautiful film for divisive political purposes. That is not why I joined the project.”
Boreing, who announced his company’s partnership with Angel Studios on “Sound of Hope” last month, <a href="https://x.com/JeremyDBoreing/status/1811157424142741580">responded</a>, saying that even if there are political differences between Wright and the conservative media outlet, it’s more important to focus on the film’s message of “a community banding together to help kids in need.” 
“On its opening day &#8211; July 4th – Sound of Hope was one of the highest grossing films nationwide, second only to Disney&#8217;s biggest release of the year. This movie is tracking to be huge and has the potential to launch a movement to end America’s foster crisis,” Boreing wrote on X. “The Daily Wire is truly honored to partner with Angel Studios on such an important project. But, such is the intolerance of the modern left that instead of celebrating this accomplishment and all it might mean, one of the film’s producers, Letitia Wright of Black Panther fame, used the occasion to condemn The Daily Wire’s involvement in sharing this message across the country.” 
“Letitia and I probably don’t share the same politics, but I believe we share a Christian faith and, more importantly, the same goal of shining a light on something we can all agree on &#8211; a community banding together to help kids in need,” Boreing added. “We hope people don’t allow this distraction to steal from the message from the film and the impact it can have. Everyone should see this movie and join the fight for kids. It’s too important not to.” 
Angel Studios President Jordan Harmon also responded to Wright’s statement, <a href="https://deadline.com/2024/07/letitia-wright-sound-of-hope-daily-wire-1236006412/">saying</a>, “This powerful film takes a stand for vulnerable kids, and we’re pursuing partners who are passionate about this fight. Angel Studios is grateful for both Letitia and Daily Wire’s partnership on getting this story out into the world, and everyone concerned about the foster care and adoption crisis to get involved and see Sound of Hope.”
“Sound of Hope” is based on the inspiring true story of Donna and Reverend Martin, a couple who joined 22 families from their rural black church in the small East Texas town of Possum Trot to adopt 77 of the most difficult-to-place kids in the foster system.
The movie sits at an impressive 98% <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sound_of_hope_the_story_of_possum_trot">Rotten Tomatoes</a> audience score and an A+ CinemaScore rating.

Letitia Wright/Jeremy Boreing

‘Sound Of Hope’ Exec Producer Letitia Wright Condemns Daily Wire’s Partnership With The Film. Jeremy Boreing Responds.

'Sound Of Hope' Exec Producer Letitia Wright Condemns Daily Wire’s Partnership With The Film. Jeremy Boreing Responds.

Jeremy Boreing

“Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot” is outperforming expectations, bringing in $6.8 million at the box office over the Fourth of July weekend.
The drama was released by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/angel-studios">Angel Studios</a> in partnership with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/dailywire">DailyWire+</a>. 
“<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/sound-of-hope">Sound of Hope</a>” is based on the inspiring true story of Donna and Reverend Martin, a couple who joined 22 families from their rural black church in the small East Texas town of Possum Trot to adopt 77 of the most difficult to place kids in the foster system.
Brandon Purdie, EVP and Head of Theatrical Distribution at Angel Studios, said the content of the film is the reason for its success. “The Angel Guild has the power to revolutionize the movie-going experience by choosing films like “Sound of Hope,” which bring back audiences long neglected by the outdated studio gatekeeping system,&#8221; he said, per a company <a href="https://www.angel.com/press/release/angel-studios-sound-of-hope-the-story-of-possum-trot-outperforms-with-usd6-7">press release</a>. 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Sound Of Hope: The Story Of Possum Trot | Official Trailer | Angel Studios" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-nyh9tcGFcI?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Purdie added, &#8220;This film highlights the urgent need for diverse content in our domestic box office. Audiences have clearly shown how broken the gatekeeping system is through their movie choices—filling theaters for compelling stories and leaving others empty. They crave deep, impactful narratives year-round.&#8221;
This is the first collaboration between DailyWire+ and Angel Studios. 
“We are thrilled to partner with Angel Studios, a company that not only shares our commitment to creating impactful and meaningful entertainment but also excels in doing so,” Jeremy Boreing, co-founder and co-CEO of The Daily Wire, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sound-of-hope-the-story-of-possum-trot-hits-theaters-today">said</a> when announcing the partnership. “Speaking as the father of an adopted daughter myself, ‘Sound of Hope’ is truly inspirational. We know it will resonate deeply with our audience – and far beyond – and has the power to make a true cultural impact for kids and families in crisis. We want millions to see this film.”
“Sound of Hope” also has high marks from experts and moviegoers, sitting at an 81% critics score and 97% audience score on <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sound_of_hope_the_story_of_possum_trot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rotten Tomatoes</a>, as well as an A+ CinemaScore rating. 

“Sound of Hope, like its predecessor [‘Sound of Freedom’], is a big-hearted film made with a homespun sincerity that comes as a refreshing surprise at the multiplex these days,” <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sound_of_hope_the_story_of_possum_trot/reviews">wrote</a> a critic from the Wall Street Journal.

‘Sound Of Hope: The Story Of Possum Trot’ Outperforms Box Office Expectations In Opening Weekend

'Sound Of Hope: The Story Of Possum Trot' Outperforms Box Office Expectations In Opening Weekend

DailyWire+

The highly anticipated movie “Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot” hits theaters today, a release that comes from a partnership between Angel Studios and DailyWire+.
The film is based on the inspiring true story of Donna and Reverend Martin, who, along with 22 families from their rural black church in the small East Texas town of Possum Trot, adopt 77 of the most difficult to place kids in the foster system. “Sound of Hope” sits at an impressive 86% critic score on <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sound_of_hope_the_story_of_possum_trot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rotten Tomatoes</a> as of Thursday morning.
<a href="https://www.angel.com/tickets/sound-of-hope-the-story-of-possum-trot?utm_source=The+Daily+Wire&amp;utm_medium=partner&amp;utm_campaign=dailywire&amp;utm_content=dailywire&amp;codes=DAILYWIRE&amp;oid=35&amp;_ef_transaction_id=dee764931a7745c491a7dab741acd5df&amp;promo=dailywire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GET SHOWTIMES HERE FOR ‘SOUND OF HOPE’</a>
“We are thrilled to partner with Angel Studios, a company that not only shares our commitment to creating impactful and meaningful entertainment but also excels in doing so,” Jeremy Boreing, co-founder and co-CEO of The Daily Wire, said when announcing the partnership. “Speaking as the father of an adopted daughter myself, ‘Sound of Hope’ is truly inspirational. We know it will resonate deeply with our audience – and far beyond – and has the power to make a true cultural impact for kids and families in crisis. We want millions to see this film.”
In the movie, the Possum Trot community proves that with real, determined love, the battle of America’s most vulnerable can be won. The film has been screened to hundreds of non-profit organizations focused on foster care and adoption, and critics, families, and those formerly in the foster care system are praising the film for its honest portrayal of the story.
Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1997-member-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interviewed</a> &#8220;Sound of Hope&#8221; director Josh Weigel on &#8220;The Ben Shapiro Show&#8221; on Wednesday and asked him what he views as &#8220;the biggest issues that Americans need to know about and that you tried to get across in the film&#8221; regarding the foster crisis.
&#8220;One of the things is just that it&#8217;s there,&#8221; Weigel said. &#8220;We all know that the foster system is there, and we&#8217;re so used to just giving over that work to the government and other people that we don&#8217;t personalize it. And what&#8217;s so shocking is that children are suffering every day in this system, floating around, being sent from house to house.&#8221;
Bishop W.C. Martin, who inspired his Texas congregation to adopt dozens of foster children, also sat down with Shapiro for a “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/it-wasnt-easy-at-all-sound-of-hope-bishop-tells-ben-shapiro-about-welcoming-foster-children-into-his-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunday Special</a>” episode that was released earlier this week. Martin told Shapiro that his and his wife’s decision to foster children “was difficult, very difficult.”
“I had to almost be a policeman in my own household,” he said.
“But you know sometimes I think we’ve got to look beyond ourselves, look beyond where we are and to reach out into this world,” Martin added. “More or less like what Jesus did for us, the suffering that he went through for us that we may have a better life and a greater life.”
“Sound of Hope” is playing in theaters across the country beginning on Thursday, July 4. Get showtimes <a href="https://www.angel.com/tickets/sound-of-hope-the-story-of-possum-trot?utm_source=The+Daily+Wire&amp;utm_medium=partner&amp;utm_campaign=dailywire&amp;utm_content=dailywire&amp;codes=DAILYWIRE&amp;oid=35&amp;_ef_transaction_id=dee764931a7745c491a7dab741acd5df&amp;promo=dailywire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

‘Sound Of Hope: The Story Of Possum Trot’ Hits Theaters Today

The following is an edited transcript of an interview between Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley and Bishop W.C. Martin and his wife Donna on a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/sound-of-hope-the-inspiring-journey-to-transform-foster-care-7-3-24" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Special Edition of Morning Wire</a>.
First, a behind-the-scenes disclosure: We did not initially intend to release the following interview in full. We sat down with the Martins to get a few quotes for a larger episode. But what took place moved all of us so much that we felt we needed to release the full exchange as a standalone special episode. With that said, we hope you get as much out of it as we did. 
The Daily Wire has partnered with Angel Studios to bring the powerful, inspiring new film “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/sound-of-hope-the-story-of-possum-trot-official-trailer-angel-studios" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot</a>” to theaters on July 4. The story follows Donna and Reverend Martin, who, along with 22 families from their church in a small Texas town, adopt 77 of the most difficult to place kids in the foster system. The small community demonstrated that with real, determined love, America’s most vulnerable can find hope and a better future.
* * *
JOHN: First of all, thank you both for coming on and being here in-studio with us. It’s really an honor to meet you.
BISHOP MARTIN: We&#8217;re definitely glad to be here.
MRS. MARTIN: Absolutely.
JOHN: I want to hear from your perspective, the personal experience of going through this process. Not a lot of people have this kind of thing happen — you start a movement and then you also see it made into a film and probably never, never thought this would go this direction. What were the initial seeds of this push to take action about adoption and foster care children? Where did that come from? What drove that initially? And why did this become a priority for you? 
BISHOP MARTIN: I don&#8217;t know if it became a priority. We were just obedient to the vision that the Lord showed my wife through the death of her mother. We just started doing something. He spoke the word and we obeyed the word. And I don&#8217;t know if it was something that we were looking for any big thing to come out of it. We were just doing what we thought people do, not even knowing all this was going on in this area. But then once we got involved in it, we found out that it was a worldwide problem, a worldwide situation. And when we got involved, we didn&#8217;t have a clue as to the depth of where we were going to end up. Because, we in Possum Trot — and who can imagine, in Possum Trot — here we are, embarked upon a worldwide journey. Who would have thought of that? I didn&#8217;t. I can&#8217;t speak for nobody, but I never would have dreamed that we would be in this position today. But what we did, I guess out of obedience to God&#8217;s will — he opened up doors. And God is faithful to do what he says. That&#8217;s the thing I keep looking at. I keep focusing my eyes on God, knowing that if you do his will, if you trust him and believe in him, He&#8217;s going to do the rest.
<div id="attachment_758967" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-758967" class="size-large wp-image-758967" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2159784079-864x576.jpg" alt="FAYETTEVILLE, GEORGIA - JUNE 28: Donna Martin, Bishop Wilbert Martin and Letitia Wright attends &quot;Sound Of Hope: The Story Of Possum Trot&quot; Atlanta Premiere at Trilith Studios on June 28, 2024 in Fayetteville, Georgia. (Photo by Nykieria Chaney/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2159784079-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2159784079-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2159784079-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2159784079.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Nykieria Chaney/Getty Images</div>
JOHN: Are there some particular Scriptures you feel really helped center you during this whole process? Are there some biblical passages that served as sort of the heartbeat of what you’ve been trying to do? 
BISHOP MARTIN: My wife may have a different one, but two of my favorite passages of Scriptures in the Bible are Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” And then I love this one. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me…” (Psalm 23:4). When I think about those two Scriptures and look at all that has gone on, you can see the connection that whatever we go through is working for our good. If you are in this battle of problems and situations and setbacks and heartaches and pain, it&#8217;s working for our good because God has a greater purpose. This was something that I feel that God — it was prophesied in our church. One Friday night, this woman came in and prophesied about everything that went on. And it had happened just like that. We had members in there say, “Yeah, right. Back in these woods? You telling me TV cameras are gonna come back in these woods? Ain&#8217;t no way.” But God always reserves the right to do it his way. We may think one thing, but with it all said and done, with it all boiled down — I get excited when I start talking about Him, because of what I feel and what I sense in Him — it has grown into such a massive thing in this world that it got people thinking from a different perspective. Now they see something tangible that they know, if it had not been for The Lord, we wouldn&#8217;t be right here. Now my wife may have a different Scripture on her mind that she loves, but these are my two. And I keep those in my spirit at all times. Because I know, in this world, you&#8217;re gonna go through some stuff. Whether it&#8217;s one thing or another, you&#8217;re gonna have some problems.
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LISTEN: Catch the full inspirational interview with Bishop W.C. and Donna Martin on Morning Wire</a></h4>
JOHN: I want to ask you about that in particular. One of the things with this film is that it does not shy away from how hard this is. The kinds of struggles that are going to come when you make this kind of commitment, when you steer your life in this direction and open your arms to people who are initially strangers. How has it been for you and the community? Has this been a hard process? Do you feel like you went in with eyes wide open or have you been surprised by it?
BISHOP MARTIN: We went in blind, not knowing the ins and outs and the pros and the cons. The children themselves have a new demeanor on life. And I often say this: how does a child know what love is all about when no one ever taught them love? How does a child understand the beauty of a mother and a father when nobody ever spent the time to teach them? How do they know how to love God when no one shows them? So these are struggles. They have all kinds of baggage — lying, stealing just whatever you can name. They come in with that mindset. And they come in like a rubber ball, bouncing from one place to another. But you know, I thank God for my wife. I thank God for Bennett Chapel Church and the community as a whole. Because what happened here, in the midst of all those struggles, in the midst of all them setbacks and all the crying and all the tears and all the heartaches — all I can say is, “But God.” But God was right there. And he helped us through the whole process. You use the term process. And one of the things that we all have to do is stay in the process. Because we may not know what the end is going to be, but if we just stay in the process, bless his name, we will surely see the hand of God is moving in our lives.
<div id="attachment_758963" style="width: 955px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-758963" class="size-large wp-image-758963" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2159784352-945x576.jpg" alt="FAYETTEVILLE, GEORGIA - JUNE 28: (Back row) Bishop Wilbert Martin, Diaana Babnicova, Nika King, Taj Johnson, Alyssa Gabriel, Demetrius Grosse, Sabrina Johnson, Ellis Hobbs IV, Jayden Tolbert, Rena Canady-Lester, (Front row) Jaxon James, Aria Pulliam, Asher Clay, Sabrina Johnson, and Jackson Abram attends &quot;Sound Of Hope: The Story Of Possum Trot&quot; Atlanta Premiere at Trilith Studios on June 28, 2024 in Fayetteville, Georgia. (Photo by Nykieria Chaney/Getty Images)" width="945" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2159784352-945x576.jpg 945w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2159784352-300x183.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2159784352-768x468.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-2159784352.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 945px) 100vw, 945px" />Nykieria Chaney/Getty Images</div>
JOHN: And have you seen a transformation with these children?
BISHOP MARTIN: First lady, you want to answer that?
MRS. MARTIN: Yes. I’m just amazed. It just goes back to the Scripture that says, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us…” (Ephesians 3:20). I am amazed with these kids. I&#8217;m amazed that their struggle has turned into triumph. I am just grateful for the opportunity that The Lord allowed them to come into our life. And I&#8217;m also amazed with the pain that I suffered through the loss of my mother at the age of 36-years-old. I was saying to the Lord, three or four months after she passed — transitioned, rather — that no child should lose a mother. No child should be left without a loving mother. Because when you have a mom, it&#8217;s like Jesus, it&#8217;s God. You feel protected, you feel loved, and you feel that you can go to her with anything. And whatever you take to her, she&#8217;s gonna make it alright. She never condemns, but she trains and she nurtures. And coming from a family of 21 siblings, raised with 16, watching this lady, my dear, darling mother, individually love us and not compare us — she taught us how to care for each other; taught us what the word of God said; to think of others more than yourself; to always give back; do the best you can do and never try to be anybody else, just be who you are. Do the best you can so that if you’re digging in a ditch, you take pride in that. And when somebody walks past and sees that ditch, they know Donna dug that ditch.
So, through my pain, I was just crying out to The Lord saying, “God, no child should lose a mom.” And when he spoke to me, he said, “I&#8217;ve heard you, but she&#8217;s with me.&#8221; All I was thinking about for those months was myself. All I was thinking about, when I was alone, was that I couldn&#8217;t go any further. So I looked up to The Lord one day and I said, “Okay God, today is the day. Either you heal me or let me die.” Literally, I thought I was going to die. I thought my husband would come home and find me on the kitchen floor. But God moved upon my heart and I stepped out the back door and He said, “I&#8217;ve heard you. Now think about those children out there who did not and will not have what you had in a mother. Foster and adopt. Give back.” Now, to what magnitude to this point? Here we go again: “Now unto him who is able…” I would have never thunk it if you&#8217;d have told me. I would say, “No way.” But we were full of compassion, dedication, and determination. Now, He didn&#8217;t say get just kids whose parents left them, but get those hard-to-place kids that wouldn&#8217;t fit into a home. Because you know what to give back, you know what was given unto you. You know what I can do, if you will let me do it. And we wanted those children, our community wanted those kids. Because we understand struggle. Possum Trot understands struggle. We understand not having a luxury life. But the most important thing is the love of Christ and loving one another, accepting one another. We understand that. So, I&#8217;m amazed when I look at them now, and no matter what, there’s always going to be challenges. How can you get healed from that kind of rejection? That never leaves you. But when you take Jesus Christ, you give them hope, the sound of hope, the kind of hope that needs not be ashamed, that will rightly divide the word of truth. The word of God says, “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.” (Psalm 27:10). So he&#8217;s preparing a people, he&#8217;s preparing a nation. Take these kids, because as my husband says, they didn&#8217;t know what to give. They could only give out what was given to them. Some of them are grown and have children and they&#8217;re still hurting. But we knew and we did what The Lord asked us to do.
And it was hell and high water, if you will. We didn&#8217;t know, because I came up in a time, I&#8217;m a ‘61 baby, and I came up in a time when if mama said it, you did it. Whether you like it or not, you didn&#8217;t question it. If your mother said, “You show some love,” or if your mother said, “You give that shirt, you turn the other cheek,” you did it. You know? So, I&#8217;m just amazed. I believe it’s not about us. It&#8217;s not about Bishop W. C. and Donna. It&#8217;s not about Bennett Chapel. It’s about “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.” (John 3:16) That Son gave his life so that He may have other sons and daughters. So we gave our life. We gave up our agenda through our hurt, our pain, and our brokenness. And we suffered and talked through. And I&#8217;m sitting on this side of it right now and saying, “God, nobody but you — could nobody do this but you.” And to know the plan that God has was bigger than what I could have ever imagined, ever think. I am excited that this hidden message is being known. Anyone who sees it, and hears it, they hear the sound, they hear the cry. They know, we know. Even those that haven&#8217;t even thought about adoption, that took their husbands and their wives and said, we want to start a family. Yet, if you don&#8217;t hear the sound of those children out there that haven&#8217;t had a chance in life and what you give your very own, then it&#8217;s going to contaminate the good. That&#8217;s why God said, forget about yourself. Let&#8217;s reach out of ourselves. And I&#8217;m so grateful. If I have ever been grateful for anything in my life, this is it. I am grateful that the Lord allowed a people to go through the struggle and the pain and give a voice to this nasty enemy, that “&#8230;comes to rob, steal, and kill.” (John 10:10). But Jesus said, “I have prayed for you.” (Luke 22:32). I’m amazed.
BISHOP MARTIN: One of the things that I also want to share is that adoption is nothing new. I mean, God himself showed us in the Old Testament that adoption was the only way we were able to get back to God, was through adoption. I think it&#8217;s in Ephesians 1:5, where it talks about how it was God&#8217;s good pleasure through his son Jesus to adopt us that we are able to get back to God. Anybody believing in God, whether they like it or not, they&#8217;ve been adopted by God himself. It&#8217;s kind of like God called a people to make up, to utilize, and to demonstrate: What I&#8217;ve done for you, you can do it for another. The doors that I opened up for you — because I brought you out of the muck and mire, I brought you out of pain and hurt and sorrow — you can do it for another. And this is the thing that we are missing. This is what we don&#8217;t see. Only thing we see is a whole lot of the bad, hard-headed children. You expect that. You look for that. Because why? Well, if no one teaches them, and shows them, and loves them through their hurt and pain like God —He did the same thing for us. He loved us through our hurts, our pain, because we’ve all been just as messed up. But had it not been for the Lord on our side, we&#8217;d still be jacked up, messed up, and tore up from the floor up, but God saw fit to give us another chance. Why can&#8217;t we, as a people, give a child that never had a chance — why can&#8217;t we give them a chance?
JOHN: I can barely speak. We have to wrap up. That was amazing. Thank you guys so much for sharing this. God bless you guys. You&#8217;re doing amazing stuff. I hope millions of people watch this movie.
BISHOP MARTIN: We believe.
JOHN: We believe it. Thank you so much. God bless you.
BISHOP MARTIN: Thank you.
* * *
Listen to the full interview with Bishop W.C. Martin and his wife Donna on a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/sound-of-hope-the-inspiring-journey-to-transform-foster-care-7-3-24" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Special Edition of Morning Wire</a>.

‘We Wanted Those Children’: The Remarkable Couple Behind ‘Sound Of Hope’

'We Wanted Those Children': The Remarkable Couple Behind 'Sound Of Hope'

Adoption

Foster Care

Readers Pass

The following is an edited transcript excerpt of an interview between Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley and Daily Wire culture reporter Megan Basham on a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/christians-and-the-foster-care-crisis-6-23-24" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunday Edition of Morning Wire</a>.
When it comes to providing homes for at-risk kids, people of faith, especially Christians, are far more likely to adopt and foster than non-religious people. But because of new regulations from the Biden administration, the very religious beliefs that prompt people of faith to adopt and foster could now render them ineligible. The faith-based commitment that inspires many Christians to care for vulnerable children is illustrated in a new film, “Sound of Hope,” which <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/sound-of-hope-the-story-of-possum-trot-official-trailer-angel-studios" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DailyWire+ has partnered with Angel Studios</a> to get into theaters on July 4th.
JOHN: Daily Wire culture reporter Megan Basham joins us now to discuss the new PeaceTree Productions film “<a href="https://www.angel.com/movies/sound-of-hope-the-story-of-possum-trot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sound of Hope</a>,” and how new federal regulations might impact the role communities of faith play in caring for foster children. So Megan, let’s start out by giving some context here. How big of a need is there for adoptive and foster families?
MEGAN: I think it’s fair to say heartbreakingly big. So, the most recent year for which we have <a href="https://adoptioncouncil.org/article/foster-care-and-adoption-statistics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> is 2022. In that year, just over 53,000 kids were adopted out of foster care. But well over twice that number had a case plan for adoption. Meaning, they just continued in the system because they didn’t have any families that case workers believed were safe for them to return to and no one adopted them.
Joe Knittig is the CEO of the Global Orphan Project and founder of CarePortal, a platform that connects churches to kids in need. He was also an executive producer on “Sound of Hope” and he broke down some of the statistics for me in an interview:
<blockquote>Every year in the United States, even though we pour about $30 billion taxpayer dollars into child welfare, there are more than 7 million children, that&#8217;s more than 4 million families that are referred to Child Protective Services. So these are families at the front door of the system. And there are nearly 400,000 children that are in foster care right now. And there are more than 100,000 children in the system who are available and waiting for adoption. So that&#8217;s kind of a big picture look. A myth about child welfare is that every child that&#8217;s in that system is there because of abuse. That&#8217;s not true. The number one driver for why those 7 million children go into the system — is not abuse, it is neglect. And it&#8217;s usually poverty related neglect. So, in sum, we have a very reactive system with many children waiting. We keep flooding more children into the system. Children that shouldn&#8217;t be going in there in the first place. That is the state of the union of child welfare and child wellbeing in the United States of America.</blockquote>
To give a little more context, the average child in foster care is around 8-years-old. And as they get older, it becomes much harder to place them.
<div id="attachment_750669" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-750669" class="size-large wp-image-750669" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/MixCollage-13-Jun-2024-06-47-PM-4886-1024x576.jpg" alt="Sound of Hope" width="1024" height="576" />Angel Studios/DailyWire+</div>
JOHN: Definitely heartbreaking. So just how big of a role do people of faith and Christian communities tend to play in providing homes for these kids?
MEGAN: Oh man, just a massive role. According to Barna research, practicing Christians are more than two times more likely to adopt than the general population. For evangelicals, which is who this film focuses on, they’re five times more likely than other Americans to adopt. They’re also more likely to adopt older kids and kids who have special needs or behavioral issues. I spoke to Tony Mitchell, a board member for the Christian Alliance for Orphans, also known as CAFO. That’s a nonprofit that represents around 200 organizations and close to a thousand churches. He was adopted out of foster care himself by a Christian family. And he told me that upbringing, and his own personal faith that grew out of it, were the reasons he decided to get involved in this work.
<blockquote>So I was given up at birth to foster care and I remained in the foster care system for two and a half years. Up until late in my life, I did not know what happened during those two and a half years, how many homes, or anything at all. Then I was adopted at two and a half years by a wonderful family. That family, we were not very wealthy, we existed below the poverty level, and then I was the first and only one to go to college. And then after a 30 year, very successful business career, I retired. And now I give time to several ministries and have a ministry focused retirement…</blockquote>
He also told me that Christians are instrumental in caring for at-risk kids, not just in the fostering and adopting they do themselves, but also in how they support those who foster and adopt.
<blockquote>My adoptive parents were people of faith and it had a significant impact on me. My dad would always quote things from the Bible without chapter and verse. I did not know as a child where his sayings, as I called them, came from. And when I opened the Bible for the first time myself, my first reaction was, “Hey, they got this from my dad.” So it was definitely a part of my life. And God also touched my life in my foster experience. People of our faith are very key … many times a church will create a community around foster children, and families, adopted children, families, and even families that are at risk and to help prevent children from being put into the system.</blockquote>
He pointed out that you will often see churches organizing to make sure the foster and adoptive families in their congregations are provided with clothes, beds, and other material needs. They offer baby-sitting, weekend care, homework assistance. Just anything you can think of so these families don’t feel like they’re bearing the responsibility on their own.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/christians-and-the-foster-care-crisis-6-23-24">LISTEN: Catch the full interview with Megan Basham on Morning Wire</a>
JOHN: Yeah, I&#8217;ve seen that play out personally in communities I&#8217;ve been involved with. So why is it often Christians who tend to be especially engaged in this work?
MEGAN: Because, as Barna Research found, Christians believe they have a biblical command to be involved in this kind of work. 77% of them say they have a personal responsibility to care for orphans. For example, James 1:27 says: &#8220;Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to look after orphans and widows in their affliction.” And I’d say that belief is very authentically reflected in “Sound of Hope,” which tells the true story of Bennett Chapel, a church located in the small East Texas town of Possum Trot. All 22 families in the church adopted 77 children out of foster care.
JOHN: Yeah. Now when you hear about kids in need in the foster care system and religious families stepping up to fill the need, I think many people find it surprising, even shocking, that this issue has become controversial and a matter of political debate. What’s going on there?
MEGAN: Well, essentially, the very thing that makes these families decide to adopt and foster — their Bible-based beliefs — is what’s prompting some political leaders to decide they’re unfit. So on April 29, the Department of Health and Human Services <a href="https://dailycitizen.focusonthefamily.com/christian-families-are-not-second-class-foster-parents/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">enacted</a> a new rule called the Safe and Appropriate Foster Care Placement Requirements. It requires foster families to use a child&#8217;s &#8220;identified pronouns, chosen name,” and to allow the child to dress “in a manner that the child believes reflects their self-identified gender identity and expression.&#8221; In other words, if a girl says she’s a boy, the foster parents would be required to treat her as a boy, and vice versa. The rule also says that any foster families “&#8230;must commit to establishing an environment that supports the child’s LGBTQI+ status or identity.” That language could potentially even mean that foster families must commit to something like providing puberty blockers to the child. So these rules conflict with the doctrinal convictions of the <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/07/07/attitudes-about-transgender-issues-vary-widely-among-christians-religious-nones-in-u-s/">vast</a><a href="https://research.lifeway.com/2022/09/09/one-group-still-opposes-same-sex-marriage-weekly-churchgoers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> majority</a> of church-going Christians in the United States. Here’s what Republican Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma said while discussing these concerns during a finance committee hearing last month:
<blockquote>I am getting some concerns from some folks that are coming back to my office on — just the concern the <a href="https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/policy-guidance/im-24-05">ACF recent rule</a> on foster care consider situations where a child has been removed from their home. The statement was due in part, or in whole, to a familial conflict about their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or sex characteristics. I know it&#8217;s a touchy issue on this, but we’ve got to figure out how to get as many people as we can possibly to be able to help in the foster system. And what I don&#8217;t want to have is a message being sent to faith-based organizations or families that believe in a traditional marriage situation that you&#8217;re no longer welcome to participate.</blockquote>
When HHS proposed the new rule at the end of last year, a group of 18 Republican attorneys general sent a letter to the administration saying it violates the constitution because it discriminates against religious families. They also said the proposal, &#8220;will harm children by limiting the number of available foster homes…” But the administration went forward with it anyway.
JOHN: Okay, so the rule has just recently been enacted. Do we know yet how it’s going to be applied?
MEGAN: Not yet, because it’s not scheduled to go into effect until 2026, and if a new administration takes power, they could reverse this, of course. But we can look at how some Democrat-led states are applying similar policies. Oregon’s Department of Human Services also requires foster and adoptive parents to “support” a child’s sexual orientation and gender identity. And there Christians are stepping forward to say the state has not allowed them to foster or adopt because of their Christian beliefs. For example, Alliance Defending Freedom is representing Jessica Bates, a widowed mother of five who says her <a href="https://x.com/ADFLegal/status/1644106457925709827/video/1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">application to adopt a pair of siblings out of foster care was denied</a> because of her Christian beliefs.
Also last year, Catholic couple Mike and Kitty Burke said Massachusetts rejected their application to be foster parents. They said the only reason listed on their application was that the state did not believe they would, &#8220;be affirming to a child who identified as LGBTQIA.&#8221; They have also filed a lawsuit arguing that this is a violation of their constitutional right to religious liberty.
JOHN: You almost wonder whether a story like the one told in “Sound of Hope” would be possible in some states right now.
MEGAN: Yes, and that’s something the filmmakers behind the movie are very concerned about. Josh and Rebekah Weigel made this movie together — they were co-writers and Josh directed. And they’re also adoptive parents themselves. So this was a serious labor of love for them and an expression of their own faith. They told me policies like the new HHS rule stand to hurt suffering kids the most:
<blockquote>We&#8217;re Christians and this is a story about a Christian community. And, you know, obviously that kind of legislation would prevent this story from happening again. &#8230; People may not understand that over two thirds of the people helping are people that may not agree with that kind of legislation … You would have a monumental ocean of traumatized children mounting every year if you were to cut off that kind of care&#8230;
Rebekah: Anything that would stand in the way of churches being able to be the answer to this crisis and being able to care for children is going to hurt the kids. And we want to see more churches step in. We want to see them be the solution to this. So any legislation prohibiting that is definitely problematic.</blockquote>
Hopefully, though, the attention this film is getting will encourage audiences, whether religious or not, to consider how they can care for foster kids or support foster and adoptive families.
JOHN: Yes. The most important people we have to remember when considering these policies are the children in need. Thanks for bringing us this report, Megan.
MEGAN: Anytime.

Conceptual image of family love, togetherness and safety

The Foster Care Crisis: How Biden’s New HHS Rule Will Make It Harder To Place Kids In Christian Homes

Biden Administration

Christians

Morning Wire

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — DailyWire+ and Angel Studios announced today they have entered into a partnership to release Peacetree Productions’ profoundly moving film “Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot.” The film will be released in theaters on July 4th weekend. 
<a href="https://www.angel.com/tickets/sound-of-hope-the-story-of-possum-trot?utm_source=The+Daily+Wire&amp;utm_medium=partner&amp;utm_campaign=dailywire&amp;utm_content=dailywire&amp;codes=DAILYWIRE&amp;oid=35&amp;_ef_transaction_id=dee764931a7745c491a7dab741acd5df&amp;promo=dailywire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GET SHOWTIMES HERE FOR ‘SOUND OF HOPE’</a>
“We are thrilled to partner with Angel Studios, a company that not only shares our commitment to creating impactful and meaningful entertainment but also excels in doing so,” said Jeremy Boreing, co-founder and co-CEO of The Daily Wire. “Speaking as the father of an adopted daughter myself, ‘Sound of Hope’ is truly inspirational. We know it will resonate deeply with our audience &#8211; and far beyond &#8211; and has the power to make a true cultural impact for kids and families in crisis. We want millions to see this film.”
“A common request from Angel fans over the years has been to do a collaboration with The Daily Wire,” added Jeff Harmon, Angel’s Chief Content Officer. “We are pleased to find a project where we can work together, and this one is special. I was moved so deeply I couldn’t stop thinking about it for weeks after seeing it, and it’s having a similar effect on audiences around the nation in numerous pre-release screenings. They’re being affected like I haven’t seen.”
Boreing announced the partnership in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/townhall-daily-wire-and-angel-studios-team-up" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Wire townhall</a> on Thursday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/JeremyDBoreing?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JeremyDBoreing</a> announces DailyWire+ and <a href="https://twitter.com/AngelStudiosInc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AngelStudiosInc</a> partner on the release of “Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot.” <a href="https://t.co/uQAooSIfNr">pic.twitter.com/uQAooSIfNr</a>
— DailyWire+ (@dailywireplus) <a href="https://twitter.com/dailywireplus/status/1801412336009273492?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
Inspired by a powerful true story, “Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot” follows Donna and Reverend Martin, who, along with 22 families from their rural black church in the small East Texas town of Possum Trot, adopt 77 of the most difficult to place kids in the foster system. By doing the impossible, this community proved that with real, determined love, the battle of America’s most vulnerable can be won. The film has been screened to hundreds of non-profit organizations focused on foster care and adoption, and critics, families, and those formerly in the foster care system are praising the film for its honest portrayal of the story. 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Sound Of Hope: The Story Of Possum Trot | Carry You Trailer | Angel Studios" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JGNyqveOyHw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<a href="https://www.angel.com/tickets/sound-of-hope-the-story-of-possum-trot?utm_source=The+Daily+Wire&amp;utm_medium=partner&amp;utm_campaign=dailywire&amp;utm_content=dailywire&amp;codes=DAILYWIRE&amp;oid=35&amp;_ef_transaction_id=dee764931a7745c491a7dab741acd5df&amp;promo=dailywire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GET SHOWTIMES HERE FOR ‘SOUND OF HOPE’</a>
The deal underscores the formidable presence of innovative competitors to the mainstream Hollywood studios. Both companies have seen massive success with upstart independent film and entertainment ventures, and this partnership promises to exponentially increase that success.
Angel Studios is the home of stories that amplify light. Through the Angel Guild, 324,000 members choose which film and television projects the studio will market and distribute. The studio enables creators and audiences to form passionate communities around creative projects, making the story behind the story as important as the final project. 104,000 Angel Guild members in 155 countries have invested nearly $80M in projects distributed by the studio to date. Angel Studios is behind the global box office hit, “Sound of Freedom,” which has earned $250 million in theatrical box office. Learn more at <a href="https://www.angel.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Angel.com</a>.

DailyWire+ Strikes Deal With Angel Studios For ‘Sound Of Hope’; Get Showtimes Now 

DailyWire+ Strikes Deal With Angel Studios For ‘Sound Of Hope’; Get Tickets Now 

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