Marketing Films to the American Conservative Christians: The Case of The Chronicles of Narnia

The relationship between Hollywood studios and the American conservative Christians has always been a tricky one, as they are not an easy audience to satisfy. The surprising box office success of The Passion of The Christ (Mel Gibson, 2004) nevertheless underlined that, in some cases, the American conservative Christians, and more particularly the Protestant ones, can become a financial asset as a niche audience for Hollywood. This article describes the reasons that pushed the producers and distributors of The Chronicles of Narnia to take advantage of that niche audience. It shows how they did it and came to collaborate with the American Evangelicals, who make an extensive use of modern methods of communication and welcome such high-profile opportunities to spread God’s word. But this article also demonstrates that in a globalized movie industry ruled by market shares and profits, Hollywood’s overtures to the American conservative Christians cannot but be limited, as the latter remain a niche audience.