Theater Count Works against "Breakthrough"

Now in its eighth week in release, the Christian film is playing in fewer than 150 theaters nationwide and feels it at the box office.

Marcel Ruiz in a scene from "Breakthrough."

Breakthrough earned $81,000 from Friday through Sunday, according to preliminary data from The Numbers, down from the previous weekend when it brought in $150,000. And it's all about theater count, as the film showed in just 137 venues, dropping from 251 a week ago. The movie has just a couple weeks more to go before ending its theatrical release: it was announced last week that it will ne available for digital purchase beginning July 2nd.

From Christian producer DeVon Franklin, Breakthrough has brought in $40.4 million thus far domestically, which puts it at number 14 on Box Office Mojo's all-time list of top moneymakers in the Christian genre. And that revenue comes versus a production budget of $14 million, meaning it has been a strong performer.

And that is no doubt due to the strong screenplay and acting at the heart of this picture. Based on the true story of a boy who drowned in an icy lake and was restored to life through the power of prayer, Grant Nieporte's script is compelling and actors Chrissy Metz, Topher Grace, Josh Lucas, Marcel Ruiz and the rest of the cast really bring it to life. The film also benefits from a powerful soundtrack that features multiple Grammy Award winners, including country music star Carrie Underwood and Christian rapper Lecrae.