EXCLUSIVE: Kingdom Story Company, the production shingle behind Lionsgate‘s cash cow Jesus Revolution among other hits, has appointed Kevin Downes as CEO and Andrew Erwin as Chief Creative Officer ahead of its 2024 theatrical film slate with the studio.
Lionsgate
In addition, Kingdom Story Company and Lionsgate have entered into a partnership on the follow-up to Wonder, White Bird from filmmaker Marc Forster based on the book by RJ Palacio. The studios will leverage Kingdom’s incredible faith-based reach to promote the movie, which will now release on Oct. 4, 2024.
Other movies on the Kingdom Story-Lionsgate slate include 2x Oscar winner Hilary Swank’s Ordinary Angels on Feb. 23, the April dated Unsung Hero and The Unbreakable Boy, and the year-end holiday title The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, directed by Dallas Jenkins, creator of the TV series The Chosen.
Downes and Erwin are both partners in the Nashville-based Kingdom Story Company. Tony Young serves as chairman.
“I am proud to call Kevin and Andy my partners and friends,” says Young. “Together, we launched Kingdom Story Company with a dream of providing audiences across the globe with the highest quality projects and production values, and a ‘Rush of Hope.’ That dream has become a reality through their hard work. Under Kevin’s leadership, we have set the table for our biggest year yet, and this is only the beginning.”
Kingdom Story Company’s executive team is rounded out by Brandon Gregory, who will continue as President and COO, overseeing company operations and marketing and distribution strategies with Lionsgate.
“Kevin, Andy, Brandon, and the entire Kingdom team have an outstanding slate for 2024. We truly value the films and expertise that the Kingdom team bring to the table, and we couldn’t be more excited to continue working with them to bring these films to audiences globally,” said Joe Drake, chair of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group.
Veteran producer Daryl LeFever has been appointed as President of Production, overseeing all physical production for the company. LeFever is currently in production on the Winnipeg set of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.
Marketing veteran and executive Tiffany Long, Founder and President of Troops & Allies, will serve as Kingdom Story Company’s Head of Marketing in an exclusive arrangement where she will continue leading the strategies for all theatrical campaigns. Long most recently led the campaign for Jesus Revolution, which grossed north of $52M at the domestic box office.
LeFever and Long will report to Brandon Gregory.
“For the last ten months, following the overwhelming success of Jesus Revolution, we’ve been strategically building our 2024 theatrical slate with Lionsgate, and we couldn’t be more excited to bring these stories to the big screen,” said Downes. “I’m so proud of our dedicated executive team, working together to continue bringing stories that uplift and inspire to our faithful audiences around the world.”
“Kingdom Story Company is a community of storytellers who wake up daily with a passion to tell stories of hope and redemption,” said Andrew Erwin. “It’s beyond exciting to be a part of the talented group of filmmakers uniting to create films that matter. Our 2024 slate is packed with stories of community, the unsung heroes among us, the power of kindness, and how misfits find the true meaning of Christmas.”