One Month to "Selfie Dad," Starring Michael Jr.

This Christian comedy refuses to be thwarted by the coronavirus-induced closure of America's movie theaters.

Michael Jr. and Chonda Pierce in a scene from "Selfie Dad." Image: Kappa Studios.

Instead of following through with a planned theatrical release, Selfie Dad will come out June 19th on premium video on demand (PVOD). That makes it the third faith-based movie to feel the negative effects of the illness, joining I Am Patrick: The Patron Saint of Ireland - which we covered here - and I Still Believe - covered here.

The digital poster for the movie. Image: Kappa Studios.

Despite the unexpected turn of events, this new picture has a lot going for it, starting with the cast. It stars two of the biggest names in Christian comedy, Michael Jr. and Chonda Pierce, who are also known to moviegoers, with Michael Jr. having played a prominent part in War Room - from the Kendrick Brothers - and Pierce from three successful Fathom Events - Laughing in the Dark, Enough and Chonda Pierce: Unashamed. Karen Abercrombie - another War Room player - James Denton and Christian singer Jamie Grace also have roles in this movie.

And we're real fans of writer/director Brad Silverman, who brought us Grace Unplugged, a prodigal daughter story from 2013 that we feel didn't get nearly enough exposure. He and producer Paul Long, his partner at Kappa Studios, are strong Believers who are prominent in the faith-based film world, and not just for their own movies. Their company's post house lists The Chosen, God's Not Dead, Unplanned, Like Arrows and Run the Race among the productions they've helped put together. In a word, wow.

Now then, we have not yet seen this movie, but with Silverman himself being a former comedian and Michael Jr. and Pierce in lead roles, it would seem the picture couldn't help but be funny. As to the story, Michael Jr.'s character - Ben Marcus - is experiencing a mid-life crisis despite having a beautiful wife and children and a good job as a reality TV editor. He thinks if he can achieve his long-held dream of becoming a comedian, he will become fulfilled.

With the help of social media, he makes the comedy thing fly, only to remain in the same funk. Enter a young IT expert, and aspiring pastor, who points to God as the missing ingredient in Ben Marcus' life. As you will see in the trailer below, the faith-based elements in this one are very direct, with repeated references to reading the Bible, God's power and scenes of prayer. They even got a song from Kanye West's album Jesus is King for the soundtrack, so the movie will likely be preaching to the choir, as it were.

Selfie Dad releases only via PVOD and you can find it on Fandango Now, Apple iTunes, Redbox on Demand, and Amazon Prime Video starting on June 19th.