Insider Intel: Faith-Adjacent Scripts Are Gaining in Popularity

Faith-based projects, once considered pariahs, are coming to the main stage.

For years, faith-based projects were treated as Hollywood’s quiet outliers: stories considered too niche, too earnest, or too regional to compete on the main stage. They were often relegated to movies of the week, ultra–low budget productions, or modest theatrical releases with limited expectations. In many circles, the genre was viewed as a minor-league subcategory, barely worthy of serious development dollars. But that perception is shifting in a meaningful way. What was once dismissed as a pariah is now emerging as one of the fastest-growing and most dependable audience segments in the business.

The change is not limited to overtly religious or “preachy” films. The real momentum lies in faith-adjacent storytelling: scripts that are clean enough to be watched by the whole family, stories that are wholesome without being simplistic, and even gritty character dramas that reflect communities rarely centered in mainstream entertainment. Audiences are responding to narratives rooted in authenticity: small towns, blue-collar households, Middle America, multigenerational families, and characters whose moral frameworks are shaped by belief, tradition, and community. These are not sermons on screen; they are human stories with texture, specificity, and emotional truth. They reflect parts of the country that have often felt unseen or caricatured, and viewers are rewarding that authenticity with loyalty.

Paramount+ and Peacock have made meaningful moves into values-driven programming, recognizing the depth of this audience. Amazon MGM Studios is expanding its slate in response to growing demand, while Tubi has seen significant performance from projects that sit in the faith and heartland-adjacent space. Importantly, this demand is not confined to holiday rom-coms or inspirational biopics. It extends to character-driven dramas, rural crime stories, family sagas, and emotionally grounded thrillers: projects that treat their worlds and their characters with seriousness and respect.

What we are witnessing is less a trend and more a recalibration. For years, cultural relevance was defined narrowly by a certain coastal sensibility: edgy urban narratives, irony-laced comedies, prestige antiheroes. But in a business driven by demand with viewership for award shows plummeting, the cool kids are no longer just the cool kids. The audience is redefining what matters, and Hollywood is listening.

This Week in the Writers' Room

The Exec Hour with Robert Chimento- Wednesday, MARCH 4th at 4pm PT!

An Intimate Q & A with Stage 32 Member & Producer Robert Chimento! Ready to level up your pitch game and demystify what happens after someone says, “Let’s talk representation”? Join us for an intimate Zoom Q&A with fellow Stage 32 member to discuss How to Pitch & What Signing with a Manager Looks Like. Robert isn’t just talking theory, he’s lived it. After pitching a manager at Zero Gravity via Stage 32 and before offered representation, he'll dive into what reps are looking for and what happens once you sign with a manager.

If you would like to join the Writers’ Room, access weekly events, submit to dozens of open writing assignments, and attend exclusive pitch tanks with industry executives- click HERE for a free trial!

This Week’s Exciting Announcements!

This week, we're spotlighting an amazing Literary Manager & Producer on the Stage 32 Platform!

Stephan Dubreuil is a Montréal-based manager and co-founder of the literary management boutique Woolf+Lapin. Since 2001, he has overseen TV, film, YouTube, and immersive projects for global clients including Nike, Disney Pixar, Microsoft, Google, Iggy Pop, Adidas, Ford, Procter & Gamble, Radio-Canada, CBC, and TVA. An early advocate of immersive storytelling, Stephan entered the XR space in 2013 with Félix & Paul Studios and has spoken internationally on VR and new media (Byron Bay Film Festival, Tianjin VFX Festival, Nanchang VR Festival) and served as VR programmer for the Fantasia International Film Festival from 2015 to 2019.

Click here to book with Stephan!

Through Woolf+Lapin, he manages and mentors a roster of writers, directors, and digital creators, actively developing and packaging projects for market. Stephan is a regular jury member for several screenwriting competitions and mentors writers through Stage 32. Woolf+Lapin’s featured talents include director Robert Hloz (Restore Point), currently developing a sci-fi feature with cult producer Daniel Bobker.

See Stephan's Stage 32 Profile here!

How Does a Producer Evaluate a Script?

In a recent Stage 32 Blog, Producer/Manager Eileen Cope breaks down exactly what makes her keep reading a script, or put it down, covering concept clarity, voice, character, structure, emotional specificity, dialogue, and more.

If you missed it before, now is the time to dive in! Soak up all of the wisdom that Eileen has to share and join the ongoing conversation in the blog comments to ask her questions or share your thoughts.

Click here to read it now!

We've Officially Announced Our Film & TV Comedy Screenwriting Contest Semi-Finalists in Partnership with Director Todd Biermann & Pathfinder Media!

Get To Know Our Partners:

Todd Biermann is a storied TV comedy director who recently served as Producing Director for SIDE QUEST on Apple TV+ and is well known for his work as a longtime collaborator of Rob McElhenney’s as a director on MYTHIC QUEST on Apple TV+ as well as ITS ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA for FX. Todd directed the pilot for LIZA ON DEMAND, and is one of ABC’s go to directors across Kenya Barris’s series BLACK-ISH, MIXED-ISH, and GROWN-ISH. Todd recently directed episodes of HIGH POTENTIAL for ABC, GHOSTS for CBS, BIG DOOR PRIZE for Apple and has also directed episodes of DICE for Showtime and BROAD CITY for Comedy Central that featured Hillary Clinton. Todd also recently served as the Producing Director on THE OTHER BLACK GIRL for Hulu. This partnership represents a proactive approach to finding Todd's next marquee project.

And Todd, in partnership with his manager Mark Wheeler's management company Pathfinder Media, are partnering with Stage 32 to find the next undiscovered comedy writing talents to represent and package a project with Todd attached. At Pathfinder Media, Mark manages a diverse range of clients, and he will work directly with the winner to help develop the winning project of the Stage 32 + Pathfinder Film & TV Comedy Screenwriting Contest.

Pathfinder Media will be personally reviewing semi-finalist loglines and all top 10 finalist scripts, with winners selected based on both creative merit and commercial viability. 

The Grand Prize Winning screenwriter will receive:

• Pathfinder Media placement for representation, script development and packaging with Director Todd Biermann
• Career Accelerator Prize Package ($4,000 value) including script development, career consulting, writer branding, and comprehensive education resources
• Personal Mentorship Track with dedicated 1:1 career development sessions from our success team
• Industry Marketing Campaign promoting winner to our exclusive roster of 2,500+ managers, agents, producers, and executives
• Strategic Partnership where Stage 32 and Pathfrinder Media executives collaborate to prepare your project to take directly to market

Our Finalists will receive:

Our Finalists will receive a Career Momentum prize package valued at $1,500, including Career Development, a Writer Branding Workshop, and an Education package, and will have your logline featured in a Stage 32 Look Book sent to over 2,500+ top entertainment industry executives, giving your work unparalleled exposure!

But that’s not all! Everyone who makes the Semi-Finals will receive a Career Breakthrough prize package valued at $1,000, our Quarterfinalists will receive a Career Elevation prize package valued at $500, and all Entrants will get a prize package valued at $100!

This Week In The Stage 32 Community!

Success in this industry is rarely a solo sport. While the work starts at your desk, your career truly begins the moment you step out of your bubble and into the room. Right now, one of the most practical and high-stakes conversations for your career is happening in the Screenwriting Lounge, and it’s one you can’t afford to miss.

Literary Manager Spencer Robinson (Art/Work Entertainment) is pulling back the curtain on the "how" and "why" behind signing new talent. In a world where every writer is asking, "How do I get a manager?", Spencer is flipping the script to show you what he is actually looking for when he considers a new writer for his roster.

It’s about more than just a single polished script. Spencer is detailing the specific professional habits, from "no a-hole" policies to being a voracious reader of the trades, that turn a talented writer into a hireable client.

Are you truly "room ready?" Do you have that second, equally fantastic piece of material ready if a manager asks for it today? Are you treating your networking and market research as seriously as your dialogue?

These discussions are your chance to bridge the gap between "aspiring" and "professional." Engaging in these threads doesn't just sharpen your business IQ; it makes you a visible part of the global Stage 32 ecosystem where executives, managers, and producers are actively paying attention.

If you haven’t joined the discussion with Spencer yet, the door is open. Click here!

Need help navigating the industry? Contact success@stage32.com

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

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