‘The Hopeful’ Available to Stream in North America Starting August 23

Hope Channel International is excited to announce that on August 23, the highly-anticipated feature film “The Hopeful” will be available on demand all across North America. Making the top 10 list for United States box office on its release day across 900 cinemas back in April, “The Hopeful” continues to hold a 93 percent positive rating on the popular movie critics site, Rotten Tomatoes.

The most common question has been, “When will it be available for me to share with my community?” Now, people in the United States will be able to stream the film on demand across TVs and smart devices.

Weaving a tale of love and war, disappointment and eternal hope, “The Hopeful” is much more than a cinephile’s delight; it is part of Hope Channel International’s missional venture into cinema evangelism — using media to reach beyond the pews. “The Hopeful” is the first time the Seventh-day Adventist Church has supported a film going into theaters nationwide, followed by its international cinema release in Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Fiji on October 17.

However, with such a big undertaking, many have questioned whether there would be true evangelistic impact.

Over the course of its two-night cinema release in the United States (with about a dozen theaters extending it to a full week), the film had the third highest per-screen average attendance of all movies running in the U.S. at the time, with some screens selling out completely. Churches, conferences, and even a number of academies brought their communities to the cinema to sit alongside general moviegoers to experience the journey of the Advent movement, strengthening the faith of the members and prompting questions from the general public.

Some pastors, like Wayne Jamel, were prepared for the questions moviegoers might have: “After the movie, as people were leaving, I told them that I’m from a Seventh-day Adventist Church around the corner. People were pleasantly surprised and were happy to talk to me and take flyers for my church.”

Jamel said, “One of the best experiences I had was passing out flyers, because people weren’t annoyed as if I was a solicitor. We were able to have good conversations.” After following up with his new connections, Jamel reported growth in his church, including a Netflix actor who happened to go to the theater on the film’s opening night.

At this year’s Network Leadership Conference for global Hope Channel leaders, held in Thailand, Bledi Leno, director of the Global Mission Urban Center at the General Conference, spoke about the importance of taking mission to the cities and using new methods to reach people where they are. Leno highlighted how the local New York City church community took advantage of the film’s screening at the Times Square AMC Theater to connect with moviegoers completely unfamiliar with the Adventist story and invite them to learn more.

One of the most unexpected testimonies came from Vinny MacIsaac. He shared that a practicing Hindu recently showed up at his church and wanted to speak to a pastor after watching “The Hopeful.” Week after week, the man met with him after the service to hear more about the stories of Jesus.

These are just a few of the stories that continue to be shared of how “The Hopeful” is reaching groups of people previously unreached by other means of evangelism. As one of the film’s protagonists, Ellen G. White, once wrote, “God selects His messengers, and gives them His message; and He says, ‘Forbid them not.’ New methods must be introduced. God’s people must awaken to the necessity of the time in which they are living” (Pacific Union Recorder, October 23, 1902).

The film is finding another “new method” to reach viewers via its release for on-demand viewing, starting August 23. Viewers in North America can visit TheHopefulMovie.com to stream the film at home, school, or church. Individuals can sign up now to be notified of its release and receive other exciting updates. The platform will offer several options, including a gifting feature that allows viewers to pay it forward to others, spreading hope within their communities.

Using the film as an evangelism tool, pastors and ministry leaders can purchase bundles of viewing codes at a discounted bulk rate, enabling them to share “The Hopeful”with their congregations and communities. By having viewers register for their ticket, churches will be able to automatically send each attendee “The Hopeful” Bible study. Additionally, through the Wonder Events service, churches can host screenings of the film and use these events as fundraising opportunities for initiatives such as Pathfinders and mission trips. For more details, visit Wonder Events.

Vyacheslav Demyan, president of Hope Channel International, added, “The release of ‘The Hopeful’ for streaming is a significant milestone for us. It aligns perfectly with our mission to bring hope to every home and supports our 2030 vision of reaching 1 billion people globally with the message of eternal hope. Please join us in this global movement of hope by supporting and sharing this important message.”

The release of “The Hopeful” film is supported by various additional resources to enhance the viewing experience and engagement. The “Hope Is on the Way” book is available in hard copy and e-reader on Amazon, and “Steps to Christ: The Hopeful Edition” is available at AdventSource. The film’s music can be found on Apple Music and Spotify, and an interactive Bible study is available on Hope.Study.

About Hope Studios

Hope Studios, the cinematic arm of Hope Channel International, crafts and shares stories around the world through its footprint in over 100 countries. With content rooted in faith and values, its mission transcends entertainment. Hope Studios strives to inspire positive change through the universal language of storytelling.

About Hope Channel

Hope Channel is a Seventh-day Adventist global media network that connects every heart globally with eternal hope through media that inspires.

Hope Channel produces and distributes content in 100+ languages in more than 80 countries around the world, each creating tailored messages to meet the spiritual needs of their communities.