Kennedy Center Launches First Pro-Christian Film in Years Amid New 'Family-Friendly' Initiative

The Kennedy Center is set to broaden its family-oriented programming, with an intentional move toward offering content with explicit faith-based themes—a significant shift for the prestigious cultural institution. This initiative will begin with a complimentary screening of "The King of Kings," a newly released animated film from Angel Studios that chronicles the life of Jesus through the eyes of a young boy. The film explores the transformative nature of faith and marks the first Jesus-centric show at the Kennedy Center since 2022.

The upcoming screening, scheduled for Sunday, June 1, signifies a notable embrace of pro-Christian content at the venue. Historically, the Center's programming has rarely focused on Christian stories in a direct fashion. The most recent exception was the 2022 production of "Jesus Christ Superstar," a musical that generated controversy upon its original release for its unconventional depiction of biblical characters.

Ambassador Richard Grenell, President of The Kennedy Center, commented on the new direction:

"When I saw the advertising campaign for ‘King of Kings,’ I immediately knew we needed to have it come to the Kennedy Center. And then coincidentally, I was asked to be on a panel with the CEO of Angel Studios, so I cornered him. This is family-friendly programming that we will be doing more of in the future."

The Center, while known for its diverse array of performances—including gospel groups and classical recitals of church-commissioned works by composers like Mozart and Beethoven—has not regularly featured productions with overt religious messages in recent years.

• "The King of Kings" is the most successful theatrically released faith-based animated film to date, according to Angel Studios.
• The film grossed $19.3 million during its opening weekend.
• It joins a growing list of faith-driven content produced by Angel Studios, which operates as a crowd-funded platform geared toward supporting independent creators.

David Fischer, Head of Acquisitions & Business Affairs at Angel Studios, emphasized the significance of the event: "But its greatest achievement is in the hearts it’s moved—and its screening at the Kennedy Center is a symbol of just how far truth and light can travel."

The new focus at the Kennedy Center appears poised to attract a broader family audience and foster discussions about the role of faith in public cultural institutions. Organizers say this is just the beginning, with more family-focused and religious content set to be introduced in the coming months.