By using professional actors and performers, Bolin says “The Thorn” has been able to avoid the “cheese factor” that plagued many Christian movies until recently. In fact, he says the secular world has offered little pushback about his Christ-honoring production. Rather, it’s Christians who sometimes complain about certain scenes, saying, for example, they might imply witchcraft or sorcery. “You’ve made a mockery of Jesus,” someone commented about the live-action show, which includes aerialists, dancers, and martial artists.
‘We Don’t Want To Preach Just to the Choir’
Bolin, who launched Bridgehouse Media to develop other projects, admits to making lots of mistakes along the way. While developing what became “The Resurrection of Gavin Stone,” he had to Google “How do you make a movie?” Dallas Jenkins, who brought that film to the big screen, calls it “the biggest failure of his life,” says Bolin, but it served as a catalyst for Jenkins to pursue “The Chosen.”
That TV series blew up worldwide during the pandemic, Bolin notes, just as the tour for “The Thorn” had to shut down. That’s when he realized he needed to create a digital version, in the form of a film.
Until then, “The Thorn” had been staged at megachurches throughout America—most of which aren’t built for theater productions. At performing arts centers, however, crews and performers will have access to everything from forklifts to showers.
Based on ticket sales so far, Bolin says the “market is responding” to this new chapter for “The Thorn.” He’s excited about the opportunity to introduce the production to new viewers in mainstream venues. “That’s where I think God wants me,” he says, “bringing the story of Jesus into the performing arts square and shining his light there.”
It’s vital for Christian artists to appeal to believers as well as to the arts community, Bolin adds. “After all, we don’t want to preach just to the choir.”
