Bryan and Bobbie Houston
Alcon Entertainment and Warner Bros. have announced plans to produce a movie about the beginnings and growth of the megachurch Hillsong titled, “Hillsong – Let Hope Rise”. They are planning for this film to be released in April 2015.
It is reported that the megachurch has given the companies permission to start the planning and production of the project, but Brian Houston, the founder and pastor of Hillsong Church in Australia expressed that a great deal of thought and prayer was needed before they authorized the making of the film.
"We aren't naive enough to believe that it's all going to be a 'walk in the park', but we have faith to believe that opening up our lives and portraying the journey with authenticity may just point people to the One we live for and long to glorify – Jesus," said Houston on his blog.
Jonathan Bock, one of the producers expressed in a statement how he was moved and somewhat inspired by Hillsong’s growth and its current reputation both within and outside the Christian community. He said, “Despite the fame and adulation, they're still just a simple worship band trying to do what tens of thousands of other worship bands try to do every week – glorify God through their music. How they balance that is a fascinating and surprising story."
Pastor Houston talked about how Hillsong United had caught the eye of Hollywood producer Matthew Weaver of MediaWeaver Entertainment in Los Angeles. The filmmaker talked about his experience witnessing the impact and influence it had on its audience at one of its worship concerts at the Hollywood Bowl venue. Houston expressed that there was something special about Weaver’s encounter with the worship band: "He's a non-Christian and like a school kid, he had gone to the very front and snuck into the front rows to stand right in front of the band. He didn't know Jesus at all but basically, God touched him and impacted him in a powerful way."
The pastor noted that Weaver is still trying to work out what exactly is about the worship performance that he was moved by. However at the same time Houston expressed that the producer wants people everywhere to have the same experience. The pastor described the meeting with Weaver “an encounter with the Holy Spirit."
Over the past 30 years, Hillsong has grown into a ministry with around 100,000 weekly attendees. Their more famous Hillsong United worship band has sold more than 16 million albums since it first debuted.
