'Fireproof' DVD Adds to String of Success, Impact
Faith-based movie "Fireproof" has been taking its success to new heights with the record-breaking sale of its recently released DVD and special collector's edition.
"Thanks to [supporters], the little movie from a church in Georgia that was No. 4 at the box office on its opening weekend last September, came in at No. 2 in DVD sales in its first week out. It also was the fourth-most rented DVD in the country," reported "Fireproof" promoters last Friday.
"As they say in Facing the Giants, 'What's impossible with God?'" they added, citing from the second movie directed and produced by the Kendrick brothers of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga.
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After raking in over $33 million in ticket sales over the course of 18 weeks, "Fireproof" hit stores in DVD format on Jan. 27 and after a week recorded the best first-week results in the history of Christian retail.
"Fireproof had the highest pre-sell of any Christian DVD ever," Christian Book Distributors President Ray Hendrickson told Christian Retailing magazine.
Touted as a marriage saver and strengthener, "Fireproof" tells the inspiring story of a fireman and his struggle to save his faltering marriage from ending with his newfound faith and with the help of the Love Dare, a 40-day spiritual guide that utilizes Scripture to reveal what true love is.
With a budget five times larger than Sherwood Pictures' last movie, "Facing the Giants," "Fireproof" debuted last year over the Sept. 26-28 weekend at No. 4 with $6.5 million in ticket sales, marking the year's second highest grossing opening weekend return of any film released on 1,000 screens or less. It went on to become the fifth highest grossing Christian film of all time behind "The Nativity Story."
The movie also spawned a best-selling book that started as a plot device in the film until audiences repeatedly requested copies for themselves.
According to reports, The Love Dare has sold more than a million copies and has also made its way on to the bestsellers lists of the New York Times, Amazon.com, and the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association.
"With the support of churches, Christian stores, marriage ministries, and everyday people ... the film impacted the lives and marriage of countless people across the country," "Fireproof" promoters reported.
"From theaters to homes and churches, 'Fireproof' is a vivid reminder to 'never leave your partner behind,'" they added.
With Valentine's Day approaching, "Fireproof" is expected to carry its moment through the month of February.
While the DVD is available wherever movies are sold, the special collector's edition DVD is available exclusively through Christian retail stores and sites.
