From the creators of 2018's I Can Only Imagine comes Jesus Revolution, a story of breaking down preconceived notions and opening hearts, minds, and doors during a time of a national and generational divide. Lionsgate has released a brand-new trailer for the upcoming film based on true events ahead of its wide release only in theaters on Friday, February 24, 2023.
The story of Jesus Revolution follows a young man named Greg Laurie (Joel Courtney) as he tries to find a meaning in his life in 1970. He meets two men that he hopes can help him: Lonnie Frisbee (Jonathan Roumie), a charismatic hippie-street-preacher and Pastor Chuck Smith (Kelsey Grammer), a man with a poor opinion of hippies who is trying to find a way to grow his failing church. Despite their differences, the two preachers come together with the plan to rejuvenate Chuck's church by bringing hippies to the sermons, which is a culture shock to many of the more conservative churchgoers. As time goes on, the two sides start to come together, leading to a new movement described as a "revival of radical and newfound love." This movement was dubbed by TIME Magazine in 1971 as a "Jesus Revolution."
The new trailer showcases the church and Lonnie coming together and hatching their plans of bringing hippies to his church. We see many of the regulars that attend the languishing church raise their concerns about the new attendees, though Chuck makes it very clear that the door that he has opened for them is also open for anyone that wants to leave. He says his church is a place for only those who might feel misunderstood or judged, with the 2-minute and 5-second trailer ends with a voice-over from Chuck where he says "This is your home, and I want you to tell all your friends about it."
In addition to Roumie, Grammer, and Courtney, the cast of Jesus Revolution also includes Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Anna Grace Barlow, among others. The film is directed by Jon Erwin and Brent McCorkle. Erwin also serves as a writer on the film, having co-written the screenplay alongside Jon Gunn.
Jesus Revolution will premiere in theaters on February 24, 2023. The film will also have a special preview event on Wednesday, February 22. You can check out the new trailer and poster for the upcoming film and read its official synopsis below.
In the 1970s, young Greg Laurie (Joel Courtney) is searching for all the right things in all the wrong places: until he meets Lonnie Frisbee (Jonathan Roumie), a charismatic hippie-street-preacher. Together with Pastor Chuck Smith (Kelsey Grammer), they open the doors of Smith’s languishing church to an unexpected revival of radical and newfound love, leading to what TIME Magazine dubbed a "Jesus Revolution."