A Great Awakening, the new historical drama centered on the spiritual and intellectual relationship between Benjamin Franklin and George Whitefield, is making a notable impact at the specialty box office, resonating strongly with both faith-based audiences and history enthusiasts.
Distributed by Roadside Attractions and produced in partnership with Sight & Sound Theatres, the film debuted at No. 6 domestically, earning $2.1 million across 1,289 screens. The release comes as part of programming tied to America's 250th anniversary, positioning the film at the intersection of faith, history, and national reflection.
Directed and co-written by Joshua Enck, the film stars John Paul Sneed as Franklin and Jonathan Blair as Whitefield, portraying a transformative friendship that highlights how spiritual awakening helped shape the course of early American history.
According to Roadside Attractions co-president Howard Cohen, the film's success reflects its broad appeal. Exit polling revealed that A Great Awakening drew in both core faith-based viewers and general history audiences, while also earning an impressive A+ CinemaScore-an indicator of strong audience satisfaction and positive word-of-mouth heading into the coming weeks.
Audience data further underscores the film's reach, with 79% of viewers aged 35 and older and 57% identifying as female. Notably, 66% of audiences cited the film's subject matter as the primary reason for attending, suggesting a strong interest in spiritually rooted historical storytelling.
Regional performance highlights include strong turnout in Pennsylvania markets such as Harrisburg/Lancaster/York, where Sight & Sound's flagship theater regularly draws large crowds for its live faith-based productions. Major metropolitan areas including Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., New York, Houston, Phoenix, Minneapolis, and Atlanta also ranked among the film's top-performing markets.
Leading theaters for the film's opening weekend included Penn Cinema (Lititz, PA), Regal Manor (Lancaster, PA), AMC Camp Hill (PA), Cinemark North Canton (OH), AMC Springfield (MO), and Harkins Mountain Grove (CA), among others-demonstrating a wide geographic footprint for the release.
The film's early success highlights the continued strength of faith-driven content in the theatrical marketplace, particularly when paired with compelling historical narratives. As audiences seek meaningful, values-centered storytelling, A Great Awakening stands out as a project that bridges spiritual themes with cultural history, offering both inspiration and insight.
With strong audience reception and a promising box office start, A Great Awakening is poised to maintain momentum in the weeks ahead, further solidifying the role of faith-based films within the broader cinematic landscape.
