“Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist,” which was released in theaters on Jan. 26, made over $3 million on its opening weekend, exceeding the expectations of its distributor, Amcomri Entertainment Inc., and leading to an extended run in theaters.
“An Opening Weekend Box Office in excess of US$3 million is ahead of our expectations and is testament to the combined efforts of the Producer and Amcomri teams and their ability to execute an end-to-end lifecycle strategy,” said Amcomri’s CEO Robert Price in a statement. “‘Left Behind – Rise of the Antichrist’ is Amcomri’s largest production to date and we are excited to see theaters all over North America requesting extended runs following the positive response from theatregoers.”
‘Left Behind’ Sees Box Office Success
The latest film in the “Left Behind” franchise stars Kevin Sorbo, who is also the film’s director. Sorbo is known for starring in “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys,” “Andromeda,” and “God’s Not Dead.” “Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist” also stars Neal McDonough, an actor known for his roles in “Band of Brothers,” “Minority Report” and “Justified.” McDonough is a Christian who refuses to do kissing or sex scenes out of respect for his wife.
“Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist” is based on the bestselling “Left Behind” book series, co-authored by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, the latter of whom is the father of “The Chosen” creator Dallas Jenkins. On Jan. 24, Dallas Jenkins encouraged his followers to see “Left Behind” that weekend.
RELATED: Dallas Jenkins on Why ‘The Chosen’ Is Not ‘Adding to Scripture’
“My friend (and really smart and talented actor and filmmaker) Kevin Sorbo directs and stars in the latest (and best) film version of my Dad’s ‘Left Behind’ book,” said Jenkins. “It opens in theaters for just two days this Thursday. So yes, if you’re going to ‘The Chosen’ next week, why not visit the theater one week before?
“Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist” grossed over $3.2 million on its opening weekend and placed among the top 10 movies in the box office during that time. On Jan. 31, an announcement on the movie’s Facebook page said that the limited release of the film would be extended to Feb. 1. Now, the movie’s run has been extended to Feb. 8.
Prior versions of “Left Behind” starred Kirk Cameron and Nicolas Cage. The latest rendition “delivers an updated storyline” from the 2014 film (which featured Cage), according to a press release, and “shows how today’s events set the stage for the return of Christ and the coming apocalypse.”
“We opened Thursday [Jan. 26] on 1,550 screens and the response has been unbelievable,” said Sorbo in an interview with Movieguide. “On those screens we average about 91% attendance, which is fantastic.”
