Focus Features.
Focus Features, Peacock, and Monkeypaw Productions have acquired global rights to Sundance Film Festival premiere Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul which will receive a theatrical day-and-date release in theaters and on Peacock later this year.
While others Universal titles such as The Boss Baby: Family Business and Halloween Kills, and this weekend’s upcoming Jennifer Lopez romantic comedy Marry Me, have gone theatrical day-and-date on the Comcast owned streaming service, this is arguably the first Focus Features title to have a dynamic window Peacock release.
Filmmaking sibling duo the Ebo twins, writer-director Adamma Ebo and producer Adanne Ebo, made their feature film debut with production company Pinky Promise in this adaptation of their previous short film of the same name.
In the movie, a proud first lady of a Southern Baptist megachurch, Trinitie Childs (Regina Hall) carries immense responsibility on her shoulders. After a scandal involving her husband, Pastor Lee-Curtis Childs (Sterling K. Brown), the church is forced to close temporarily, leaving Trinitie struggling to manage the aftermath. Now Trinitie and Lee-Curtis must rebuild their congregation and reconcile their faith by all means necessary to make the biggest comeback that commodified religion has ever seen. The movie out of Sundance scored an 88% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes from 34 reviews.
Pic is produced by Oscar winner Daniel Kaluuya through his production company 59% with Rowan Riley and Amandla Crichlow, alongside the Ebo twins, Kara Durrett, Matthew Cooper, and Pinky Promise’s Jessamine Burgum, and Hall and Brown. Joining as EP is Jordan Peele.
“Adamma and Adanne’s fresh, unique voices deliver such an authentic, hilarious and searing experience. Their vision coupled with the talents of Regina and Sterling deserved all the acclaim Sundance audiences gave it,” said Focus Features chairman Peter Kujawski. “I am so thrilled that we get to bring the film to worldwide audiences with Peacock and Monkeypaw.”
“We are excited to partner with Focus Features and Monkeypaw to bring Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul to Peacock customers day-and-date with its theatrical release,” said Val Boreland, EVP, Content Acquisition, NBCUniversal Entertainment, Television and Streaming. “We continue to expand the Peacock catalog with fresh stories from new creators like the Ebo twins, whose feature film debut already has Sundance audiences buzzing and is certain to delight viewers everywhere with its magnetic mix of satirical humor and drama.”
Monkeypaw’s president Win Rosenfeld said, “Central to Monkeypaw’s mission is working with emerging filmmakers who are telling fresh and disruptive stories in mischievous new ways. We are so fortunate that the brilliant Adamma and Adanne Ebo have chosen to partner with us on the release of their hilarious Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. They’re master satirists and have found both humor and heart in this fierce and provocative critique of hypocrisy.”
Writer/Director Adamma Ebo and Producer Adanne Ebo state, “We’re so unbelievably blessed and hyped to be partners with Focus and Monkeypaw on our first feature film. Their commitment to our vision as filmmakers and bolstering the film as a whole is amazing and we cannot wait to bring it to the world with this team.”
Pinky Promise founder and CEO, Jessamine Burgum also expressed, “I am thrilled to collaborate alongside Adamma and Adanne Ebo and see that their creative vision has been realized. Focus Features and Monkeypaw Productions have an eye for incredible storytelling and for them to appreciate the nuances of Honk for Jesus, truly makes for the best partnership I could have ever imagined. Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown delivered unforgettable performances that I can’t wait for audiences to witness; I’m giddy just thinking about it!”
The deal was negotiated on behalf of the filmmakers by UTA Independent Film Group, CAA Media Finance, and ICM Partners. Monkeypaw is repped by CAA and Jared Levine.