Variety’s Faith & Media Impact Report 2025

Showrunners, stand-ups
Mo

The duo are the creative force behind Netflix’s “Mo,” which was based on Palestinian American Amer’s own experiences and his family. In his latest stand-up special, “Wild World,” he explores free speech and the sometimes-absurd challenges faced by American Arabs and Muslims in the U.S. Youssef’s new series, the animated “#1 Happy Family USA,” follows a Muslim family navigating living in the U.S. in the early 2000s. Despite the decision for “Mo” to address the Israeli war in Gaza directly, the conflict serves as a background element. Instead, the season focuses on answering a key question Youssef mentioned to Variety, which he considered throughout the writing process: “What can a scripted comedy do that nothing else can do?”

Neal Harmon
Co-founder & CEO

Jordan Harmon
Co-founder & president

Jeff Harmon
COO

Angel Studios

Angel Studios is redefining faith-driven cinema, proving values-driven stories can thrive mainstream. With over 1.5 million members, their mission is to share stories that “amplify light” through wide theatrical releases and the Angel App. Their diverse slate includes the animated biblical feature “The King of Kings,” which achieved a $60 million-plus domestic gross and a record opening weekend, demonstrating the power of their united audience and unique model. “We built a platform where we let the audience decide, and then we gave them the keys. … At a time when it’s difficult for anything but mega-budget franchises to succeed in the cinema, there is a global values-driven audience hungry for family-friendly storytelling,” the say in a joint statement.

Head of targeted content
Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios

The series “House of David” was a hit for Amazon Prime Video, validating its push to add more shows that directly touch on faith and spirituality issues. Prime Video also landed exclusive U.S. streaming rights to Bible epic “The Chosen,” as well as unscripted spinoff “The Chosen in the Wild With Bear Grylls,” part of a new wide-ranging deal with series producer 5&2 Studios. “Being part of these projects is more than creating great television — it’s about serving an often-overlooked faith audience with elevated, high-quality storytelling that resonates deeply,” she says. “These shows don’t just entertain; they change lives in meaningful and measurable ways, reminding me every day why this work matters.”

Showrunner
Long Story Short

With “BoJack Horseman,” Bob-Waksberg movingly dealt with addiction, sexuality, childhood trauma and a host of other issues. In his new animated series, “Long Short Story,” he explored Judaism and spiritual fulfillment through a Bay Area family. “It’s about grief, and it’s about memory,” he says. “I wanted to tell a story about people who were religious, who observed religion, but it wasn’t about ‘God will get mad at me,’ or ‘because I believe, I have faith.’ That felt like a corner worth exploring and pushing the edges out of and depicting,” he told Variety in August.

Jason Momoa
Actor, showrunner

Thomas Pa’a Sibbett
Showrunner

Chief of War

Between the gorgeous scenery and the bloody battles, the Apple TV series beautifully depicted the importance of the history, culture and spirituality of the Hawaiian Islands. Momoa led the series, about the unification of the islands and spoke about many remarkable moments happening on set — including how the Mauna Loa volcano erupted during filming, which the pair took as a blessing from the ancestors. “Our stories are universal. Studios don’t need to freak out that Indigenous stories are an outsider’s perspective because they aren’t. We are of your communities, we are your co-workers, your bosses, you eat at our restaurants, and our kids play on the same sports teams. I promise you, audiences will see themselves in the stories we create because the human condition is universal,” says Momoa. Sibbett adds: “I believe the world is primed for healing. We, as a society, share in the generational trauma of our shared experiences and history. We need to heal and recover together, especially in today’s political climate. Storytelling is one way we can stand in each other’s shoes, hear what each other has to say, and see ourselves in the other’s struggle so we can begin to right the wrongs and mutually heal.”

Creator
Dark Winds

Grounded in authenticity, Roland’s hit adaptation of Tony Hillerman’s book series “Leaphorn & Chee” is a critical and ratings hit, featuring a mostly Indigenous cast led by Zahn McClarnon; Roland is himself Chickasaw. Set in 1971 on the Navajo Nation, it plumbs Native American history, culture, customs and spirituality. “What was unique about it was the opportunity to tell a story in the Native community without a white character bringing you into the community and experiencing it through the white character’s point of view,” Roland said in a 2022 interview. Instead, the perspective is that of the Native character “who grew up there, lived there and polices that environment.”

Founder, CEO
DeVon Franklin Entertainment

Franklin, Netflix and Tyler Perry teamed in a partnership to deliver faith-forward films, with the first being the hit “Ruth & Boaz,” the second film, “Tis So Sweet,” starring Taraji P. Henson, is currently in production, and the romantic comedy “Relationship Goals” premieres on Prime Video Feb. 4. Franklin also has a first-look deal with CBS TV Studios and is developing a reboot of “7th Heaven” in collaboration with Jessica Biel. “What excites me most is the opportunity to create work that genuinely uplifts people’s spirits. Next year, I have an autobiographical audiobook with Audible called ‘Be True, Relationship Goals,’” he says. “We’re living in challenging times, and I believe entertainment has a real purpose: to motivate us, to give us hope, and to remind us of optimism. Being able to bring these kinds of stories into the world right now is something I’m incredibly grateful for.”

Executive producers
The Faithful

“The Faithful,” a biblical drama arriving March 2026, tells the story of Genesis through the lens of the courageous, flawed women whose descendants shaped Judaism, Christianity and Islam. This six-episode series, airing over Easter/Passover on Fox, is defined by the strong female-driven storytelling. It explores timeless themes of love, marriage, children and temptation made surprisingly modern and relatable for a new generation. “What touched us the most about these characters is that the things they need to overcome — whether it focuses on love, perseverance or any other aspect of human nature — are not so dissimilar to what we face today,” they say in a joint statement.

Host

Grylls has redefined how faith can live in mainstream entertainment by seamlessly integrating it into family-friendly, adventure-driven storytelling. One of the world’s most recognizable adventurers, he has leveraged his global platform and production powerhouse, the Natural Studios, to deliver stories that unite faith, family and adventure. Among them, “Chosen in the Wild” — bridging mainstream and faith audiences by placing “The Chosen” actors in survival challenges — and the six-part TV series “Story of Jesus: Refugee, Renegade, Redeemer” on TBN. “When TV is just about ratings or entertainment with no purpose, it is empty,” he says. “It’s important for me to use entertainment as a vehicle to help, inspire
and empower.”

Spike Lee
Director

Denzel Washington
Actor

Highest 2 Lowest

Frequent collaborators Spike Lee and Denzel Washington reunited for the film “Highest 2 Lowest,” which follows Washington as a businessman deciding whether or not to use his wealth to further his career or save a child’s life. Lee’s kidnapping drama is loosely based on Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 “High and Low.” Lee and Washington tackle stark moral questions and human frailty — themes that both Lee and Washington have wrestled with in their careers. Lee told Time magazine that at the end of the film, Washington’s music producer character regains his joy he had at the start of his career. “He’s starting with a brand-new label. It’s small, but he’s gonna do it the way that feels good when his head lies on the pillow at night. He’s
at peace.”

Writer, producer, director
The Life of Chuck

One wouldn’t expect a collaboration from Masters of Horror Stephen King and Mike Flanagan to produce such a life-affirming, inspirational film. But in examining the life of an ordinary man, “The Life of Chuck” asked big questions mainstream cinema rarely touches. The writer-director admits he originally perceived the story – which starts with the end of the world – to be depressing. “But I’m so glad I stuck with the story because, by the end of it, I was shocked that I’d been taken from that place into a whole different headspace of optimism, gratitude and joy.”

Adam Fogelson
Chair, Motion Picture Group

Jim Packer
President, worldwide television distribution

Lionsgate

“The Chosen” is an anchor property in building out Lionsgate’s faith-based vertical in film and TV. This year, Packer and his team negotiated a groundbreaking, multifaceted licensing deal for “The Chosen” with Amazon Prime, marking a first-of-its-kind approach that combined scripted series, unscripted content and two feature films released theatrically. “We’re also continuing our major partnership with Mel Gibson’s Icon Prods. for the studio to distribute ‘The Passion of the Christ,’ and we’re overseeing worldwide television licensing for ‘The Resurrection of the Christ: Parts One & Two,’” says Packer. Fogelson continued Lionsgate’s decade-long deal with the Erwin brothers and Kingdom Story Company, greenlighting “I Can Only Imagine 2.” “There is an exceptional pool of talent working in this space, with some of the most creative and dynamic filmmakers in the industry choosing to tell faith-based stories,” says Fogelson. “People of faith make up a massive segment of the population and, as a global media company, it is essential for us to include stories that resonate for them in our portfolio.”

Creator, star
Man Like Mobeen

The British comic’s award-winning hit series “Man Like Mobeen” wrapped its fifth and final season on BBC Three in the U.K. but has reached international audiences on Netflix. The series not only follows the life of Pakistani ex-con Mobeen, it triggers laughs while also illuminating the issues facing the working class and Muslims. “I stumbled into the entertainment industry with one aim in mind: authenticity at all costs. As a result, when ‘Man Like Mobeen’ was commissioned, I felt a personal responsibility to ensure that Muslim stories and characters made it to our audiences without being diluted,” he says. “Being a former drug dealer is not the entirety of someone’s story. Even the most troubling circumstances harbors levity, family and love. Mobeen’s ability to recognize his mistakes but still be drawn back into them is the story of working-class life all over the world. It’s why I think so many people connected with the show from across the globe.”

Creator
Muslim Matchmaker

Not just another dating show, the Hulu reality series follows Hoda Abrahim and Yasmin Elhady as they find potential mates for their Muslim clientele. Oscar-nominated Mundhra’s resume is strong on showing the world a diverse community of people, whether through dating shows — she’s produced Indian and Jewish matchmaking series — or series like the “The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh.” “I wanted to show Muslims who aren’t in conflict with their faith or rejecting it, but who are fully embracing it while also navigating modern life, career ambitions, and the search for love,” she says.

Showrunners
Nobody Wants This

The hit Netflix series, based on the real life of creator Erin Foster, centers on a woman with no particular religious or spiritual beliefs, who falls in love with a rabbi. Season 1 showed how they navigated their relationship, while Season 2 takes their relationship even deeper, with questions of whether agnostic Joanne (Kristen Bell) will convert of Judaism, and how that would impact Noah’s (Adam Brody) career as a rabbi. Reviewers and audiences have praised Season 2’s deepening of the supporting characters. “Bruce and I came to it as fans, and so we didn’t want to change a lot. The gift of the second season is being able to tell more side character stories,” Konner told Elle recently.

R. Scott Gemmill, John Wells
Creators

Noah Wyle
Actor, creator

The Pitt

This beloved take on the medical drama didn’t shy away from depicting the effects of trauma and grief and the toll it takes on one’s mental health. This is most clear in the case of Dr. Robby, portrayed by Wyle, who begins to crack during his 15-hour shift. Gemmill notes, “The most gratifying thing I’ve heard back from the audiences has come from the healthcare workers who feel seen and heard and, in some cases, recognizing their own struggles and realizing they too could use some professional help dealing with the stressors of the job.”

Derek Cianfrance, Kirt Gunn
Director, writers

Roofman

“Roofman” deftly explores faith, morality and forgiveness. It’s the true story of burglar Jeffrey Manchester (Channing Tatum), who camped out in a Toys R Us hiding from the police but found some peace with Leigh (Kirsten Dunst) and her church. “That call to come home, to be welcomed, to be redeemed is a real thing. When we lose it, we lose our identity and our ability to accept each other. I think that is the part of this story I wanted to tell,” says Gunn. “I’ve never met a hero or a villain in real life, just people. And in researching this story, I interviewed some of the people who were directly affected by Jeff’s bad decisions and, somehow, they responded to his huge mistakes with even greater grace and forgiveness. That was an inspiring notion, to me, during these divided times,” says Cianfrance.

Showrunners
Somebody Somewhere

The HBO series, which just ended after three seasons, centers on Sam (Bridget Everett), who returns to her hometown in Kansas after her sister’s death from cancer. She’s depressed and stressed about her life, and reconnects with old friends and her surviving sister, whose problems and issues are mixed with good old Midwestern faith, a faith that’s inclusive and joyous. “I grew up in the church in rural Minnesota; Jeff Hiller who plays Joel grew up in the church in Texas. These are the complicated people that we know and love, but that we haven’t always seen represented in complicated and authentic ways. There’s so much more diversity to faith communities than what you normally see depicted; like queer people of faith in the Midwest, to use ‘Somebody Somewhere’ as an example,” says Thureen.

Creator
Task

Mark Ruffalo’s former priest — inspired by Ingelsby’s uncle, “a very compassionate, inclusive priest,” he says — turned FBI agent on HBO’s hit series “Task” wrestles with alcohol, parenthood, crime, murder and death. He’s complex but his faith — fractured, to be sure — helps sustain him through myriad tragedies. The show has been renewed for Season 2. “I was interested in telling a story about a man whose life was defined by faith. As a young man, Tom dedicated himself to serving God. He joined the seminary and became a priest and served a community. And then a tragic event occurs, and he comes to question everything he saw as truth in his life. He questions the God he dedicated his life to. The story is about Tom finding a way back to faith. Now ‘faith’ doesn’t just mean a religious faith. In this story, it’s a faith in goodness,” says Ingelsby.

Executive producers
The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox

Steinberg and Knox teamed for the docuseries, based on the true story of Knox’s 2007 wrongful conviction for the murder of her roommate while studying abroad. Knox was given significant agency in shaping the narrative, upending perceptions of how the media painted her. Knox says it’s “a story of reconciliation against all odds. It reveals how compassion, toward oneself and even toward those who have harmed us, can alchemize devastating injustice into a path of liberation. It shows how resilience can transform suffering into profound spiritual growth… Despite being a story about extraordinary circumstances, it is a universal lesson about hard truths realized the hard way.” Steinberg notes: “As our country’s political and cultural discourse descends into brittleness and unreasonableness and hyper-reactivity at the hands of so much misinformation, I thought Amanda’s story felt uncomfortably relevant.”

Director, writer
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

The third in the “Knives Out” series puts faith front and center, with the main protagonist, played by Josh O’Connor, a Catholic priest who helps Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) solve a few murders. But the film pits O’Connor’s inclusive, loving God against the fear, intolerance and paranoia preached by Josh Brolin’s egomaniacal and controlling monsignor. It makes for a dynamic and thought-provoking murder mystery with just enough cheek to satisfy the “Knives Out” fans. Johnson notes, “Because the movie was going to be my own multifaceted honest conversation about faith, it felt important to center it on a genuinely good priest. Father Jud (O’Connor) is a complicated human but he also embodies the things I treasure most from my time as a Christian, and things I need more of in my life today even as a non-believer.”

Kelly Merryman Hoogstraten
CEO

Jon Erwin
COO

Wonder Project

Wonder continues to effectively view faith as a broad, multi-generational audience, not just a niche genre. “House of David,” its debut original series, premiered in February and quickly became a global hit. Drawing over 44 million viewers worldwide, it hit No. 1 on Prime Video. Building on this success, Wonder is expanding its mission via its subscription channel. Its slate features “For King + Country: No Turning Back,” charting the rise of music superstars Joel and Luke Smallbone; “Redemption,” about the Ohio State football team’s 2024 championship faith journey; and a holiday special hosted by Kimberly Schlapman of Little Big Town. “‘Young Washington’ launches July 4, 2026 — on America’s 250th birthday. This is the kind of moment Wonder was built for — restoring faith in things worth believing in,” says Merryman Hoogstraten. “We’re telling courageous stories that crack open hearts and prove we belong in the mainstream.”