Christian novelist Karen Kingsbury is turning her Christian fiction novel, Someone Like You, into a full-length film which will be the first project of her new production company, Karen Kingsbury Productions. According to Christianity Today, this is not the first time one of Kingsbury’s novels will make it to the big screen as Hallmark has turned four of her novels into movies already, but it is the first time that one of her books will be produced as a film feature under her control. Kingsbury shared that she wanted the film to represent the novel on her terms.
Kingsbury told Christianity Today, “I really felt like it wouldn’t be what I pictured it to be unless I did it myself. I’m running towards the Red Sea. God’s parting the water, but my toes might get a little wet.”
The venture for Someone Like You has required a $2 million investment and an additional $1 million for publicity and advertising. Kingsbury is still looking for a distributor for the film at this time and she is not sure when a second film will begin.
This is not the first time Christian productions have made their way to the motion pictures industry, but it is the first time a Christian novelist herself is producing the entertainment. Pastors Alex and Stephen Kendrick, also known as the Kendrick Brothers, have had success with their films. Dallas Jenkins has also had success with his production company and the release of The Chosen. Still, Kingsbury is adding a new perspective to the Christian entertainment industry as the fiction she has written will be transferred to the big screen the way she intends it to be understood by viewers.
As much of the mainstream entertainment continues to threaten Christian values, adding more perspectives and more production to the Christian entertainment industry will bring more options for viewers who want to watch films that promote wholesome values without sacrificing quality. Though Kingsbury’s production company is just beginning, with her a myriad of options from her successful writing career, it will likely grow in the years to come.