With the entertainment industry under economic pressure and changing cultural tides, Hollywood is seeing a notable shift towards faith and family-centered content. The American Film Market reflects this change with recent announcements that major studios and streamers, from Amazon MGM Studios to Netflix, are leaning into narratives that appeal to broader audiences.
Amazon MGM Studios, for instance, is gearing up for the launch of House of David—a series with the scale and ambition of a major production but rooted in faith-based storytelling. The series, developed in partnership with The Wonder Project, highlights Amazon’s renewed focus on family-oriented themes, following its recent move to create targeted content for diverse, yet universal, audiences.
After years of coastal-centric shows addressing progressive themes, Hollywood’s landscape is turning towards narratives rooted in values and themes that resonate nationwide. As streaming giants increasingly look for content that is universally appealing, more faith-based and family-oriented content is gaining traction.
“This shift is not surprising,” notes Nick Barnes, UTA’s head of its Heartland division. “Studios and streamers are looking around asking, ‘What’s our Yellowstone?’” The popular Kevin Costner series on Paramount has demonstrated that stories celebrating traditional values and rooted in heartland America have massive appeal.
Disney has taken a similar turn, with CEO Bob Iger recently pivoting from themes like Zootopia’s exploration of prejudice to a future slate that includes big franchises like Deadpool & Wolverine. Meanwhile, Netflix, building on the success of its small-town romance Virgin River, is venturing into faith-based cinema with creators like Tyler Perry and DeVon Franklin. With a new biblical series Mary and an upcoming bull-rider drama starring Tim McGraw, Netflix is set to connect with audiences hungry for meaningful narratives.
This evolution in Hollywood’s content is driven in large part by economic realities. As studios face rising costs and seek content with strong, cost-effective potential, faith-based and family-friendly programming offers a low-cost, high-impact solution. According to Robert Thompson from Syracuse University, “Conservative, faith-based, family programming taps into a massive audience… It’s positive and engaging, and provides some of the best storytelling.”
Faith-based hits like The Chosen, Sound of Freedom, and Jesus Revolution have shown there is demand—and profit—in values-based content. These projects resonate widely, allowing studios to reach new audiences while offering narratives of hope and resilience.
Yet, the embrace of faith and family content doesn’t come without challenges. Many Hollywood decision-makers are still based in Los Angeles or New York and may not fully understand heartland audiences. For these gatekeepers, “family” or “faith-based” can mean different things, often bringing hesitation and mixed perceptions about appealing to these audiences. Barnes adds, “They know heartland audiences are important, but understanding what truly resonates with them is another matter.”
The industry has noticed a rise in faith-centered titles, but as production expands into states like Texas, Georgia, and Tennessee, Hollywood is learning more about these markets. As new film hubs continue to flourish outside of Los Angeles, more producers and executives see firsthand that the stories from America’s heartland have universal appeal. Hollywood’s slow but sure pivot towards inclusive, faith-centered, and family-oriented narratives is set to leave a lasting impact on both content creation and audience reach.
