Sony Appealing To Religious Crowd With 'Risen'

Religious films are a very tricky prospect for studios, as they have to be done carefully, accurately and tactfully. In many cases, especially those lacking a big star, they are also underestimated. Sony Corp (ADR) SNE is rolling the dice this weekend with "Risen," and hoping all of its ducks are in a proverbial row.

Joseph Fiennes ("Shakespeare In Love") headlines the project, which looks at the story of the Resurrection as told through the eyes of Clavius, a non-believer. Clavius and his aide Lucius (Tom Felton) are tasked with finding the body of Jesus in the weeks following the crucifixion in order to quash a gathering uprising.

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Early estimates have the $20 million production earning in the high single digits, but after Sony's sleeper hit "War Room" earlier this summer, anything's possible. The religious "War Room" cost $3 million and to date has made over $65 million.

Sony's not had a good start to the year with "The Fifth Wave" and "Pride & Prejudice & Zombies" getting clobbered at the box office. A good showing by "Risen" would be a nice small victory for investors ahead of next month's risky "The Brothers Grimsby" with Sacha Baron Cohen and the faith-based "Miracles From Heaven."