A faith-based Christmas film directed by filmmaker Dallas Jenkins became a box office hit over the weekend, debuting at No. 2 nationwide and garnering praise from fans and critics alike. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (PG) surpassed expectations by grossing an estimated $11.1 million and trailing only No. 1 Venom: The Last Dance as it received an A CinemaScore grade from moviegoers and a 98 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Deadline labeled its success an “eyebrow raiser.”
It is only the second faith-based movie since the pandemic to surpass $10 million on opening weekend. (Jesus Revolution was the other.)
Jenkins, who is best known as the creator and director of The Chosen, thanked fans for supporting the film.
“What an opening weekend for Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” he wrote on Facebook. “My heart is full. Thank you for the wonderful comments I’m seeing all over social media. After almost 20 years of chasing this movie, it’s surreal to see the box office results, positive critic reviews (NY Times???), and viewer impact. Let’s keep it going so we have a chance of adding a film about the Jesus story to the Christmas…
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