In this month's faith & family media news: Fox's Old Testament drama The Faithful gets an airdate; Kelsey Grammer joins a Karen Kingsbury Christmas film; Great American Family bets on Buffalo; and more Sound of Music.
On Sunday, March 22, Fox premieres The Faithful, a Bible-based series rolling out in two-hour weekly installments, ending on Easter Sunday, April 5 (installments premiere the next day on Hulu).
The series begins production this summer in Italy, in Rome and Matera (filming site for both The Passion of the Christ and The Chosen).
From Deadline:
Minnie Driver (Cinderella), Jeffrey Donovan (Fargo) and 9-1-1: Lone Star alumna Natacha Karam have been tapped as leads in the first installment of The Faithful, Fox‘s six-episode Biblical limited series from Carol Mendelsohn, Rene Echevarria and Fox Entertainment Studios.
Driver will play Sarah, Donovan will portray Abraham and Karam is set as Hagar in Part 1, which will be directed and executive produced by Danny Cannon. The Faithful will premiere Sunday, March 22 and air in three, two-hour installments leading into the finale on Easter Sunday, April 5.
The event series is based on The Old Testament’s Book of Genesis and will be told through the eyes of five of The Bible’s most iconic women: Sarah and her former slave Hagar, Sarah’s great-niece Rebekah, and Rebekah’s nieces, sisters Leah and Rachel.
Home to edgy dramas and comedies, and adult-oriented animated series, Fox is not generally known for this kind of programming. But, it has instituted Fox Faith as part of its Fox Nation streaming service, which includes Martin Scorsese's The Saints, which I wrote about here.
Frasier and The Jesus Revolution star Kelsey Grammer has joined the cast of The Christmas Ring, for Karen Kingsbury Productions, based on Kingsbury's upcoming book of the same name.
From Deadline.com:
The Christmas Ring stars [Jana] Kramer as the widow of a U.S. Armed Forces member, looking for her missing family Christmas ring when she meets a charming antiques dealer ([Benjamin] Hollingsworth), whose father might unwittingly have the lost heirloom. The story spans from the French countryside of World War II to current day military town Columbus, Georgia.
The book comes out on Oct. 21, followed by the film's premiere in theaters on Nov. 6, from Fathom Entertainment.
The late, legendary producer Robert Halmi Sr. was significantly involved in the creation and early success of Hallmark Channel and produced many films for it. Now, Hallmark's former CEO has joined forces with his son, Robert A. Halmi, on a new production venture ... in Buffalo, N.Y.
Bill Abbott, head of Great American Media -- which includes TV channels Great American Family and Great American Faith & Living, and streamer Great American Pure Flix -- just inked a deal to create a new pipeline for future values-based films.
From Deadline:
Great American Media has inked a new partnership with Emmy and Golden Globe-winning Robert Halmi‘s Great Point Studios to produce over 20 films and original series at Great Point Studios Buffalo over the next two years.
The first project is A Christmas Spark starring Mario Lopez, also the first original film announced by Great American Media for the fifth anniversary of its Christmas lineup. It completed production earlier this summer at the recently opened, state-of-the-art production facility in Buffalo, New York. Additional films will be announced with content “rooted in family values and created for audiences seeking inspiring and meaningful entertainment,” the partners said. The pact will cover the bulk of Great American Media’s original content.
...
“This partnership is about raising the bar,” said Abbott, who is credited with popularizing the original Christmas movie genre, with more than 1,000 original holiday films over 15 years. “We are committed to producing content that not only entertains but uplifts. We want to produce these films right here in the U.S., with people who share our passion for authentic, values-driven storytelling.”
In celebration of its 60th anniversary, The Sound of Music -- restored and remastered in 4K -- returns to theaters this fall as part of the 2025 Fathom's Big Screen Classics series. Now, fans are getting three additional days to see it.
From BoxOfficePro.com:
Fathom Entertainment and 20th Century Studios have extended the upcoming theatrical engagement of The Sound of Music 60th Anniversary celebration, adding three additional days due to overwhelming fan demand. Originally slated for a shorter run, this beloved American classic will now be shown for six consecutive days as part of the 2025 Fathom’s Big Screen Classics series. The expanded engagement will take place September 12th–17th in theaters nationwide.
Earlier this year, we took at look at the Julie Andrews classic, which centers on great Catholic themes.
Tickets for the Fathom Event available here.
And here's the original 1965 trailer:
Image: Adobe Stock/Canva
Kate O’Hare, a longtime entertainment journalist, is Social Media Content Manager and Blog Editor at Family Theater Productions.
Recent posts:
'What If...': Kevin Sorbo Answers God's Call With Wholesome Family Films
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2025’s Top 7 Streaming Family Films & TV Shows (So Far)
'Back to the Frontier': Faith Keeps Family Afloat in History Adventure
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