"Miracles From Heaven" became a box office success this past weekend, showing that the faith genre of film continues to draw audiences, but also that Eugenio Derbez still has strong selling power. The opening of $15 million was due in part to the diversity of the film and its great marketing strategy.

Diversity Is Key to Success

Tristar and Sony took advantage of the diverse cast, which included Queen Latifah and Derbez. Both stars are very popular in the black and Latino communities and have proven very influential over time. Latifah has not been a huge box office draw, but Sony leveraged BET and its community by implementing custom promotional vignettes, which featured Latifah along with fellow star Jennifer Garner. The actresses discussed what miracles meant to them in the clips.

As for Derbez, the actor was very engaging on social media, especially useful since he has over 8 million followers on Twitter and 12 million fans on Facebook. The actor shared pictures and videos and even ran an "Ask Derbez" campaign. On Twitter he made short videos answering fan questions. This was very important to attract Latinos, who make up a third of movie audiences and who look for stories they can relate to.

Univision also held specials for the film. The station publicized Derbez receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, he hosted "Despierta America," and ran an hour-long special episode of "Sal y Pimenta." The trailers promoted on the Spanish TV station also emphasized Derbez's role in the film, while the American trailers showcased Garner and the themes of faith.

This was the second hit in a row for Derbez. He continues to be a big driving force in the Latino community. His last film, "Instructions Not Included," made $44 million when all was said and done. "Miracles From Heaven" will likely end with an even higher gross.

Faith-Based Films Are Popular

It's no secret that faith-based films have been booming for the past few years. While some of these films are of questionable quality, the bible belt community has been enjoying these movies nonetheless, giving them high Cinemascores and good word of mouth.

Tristar definitely opened on the right weekend, especially with Palm Sunday and the Easter holiday coming up. Christian audiences want to see a film that showcases miracles that correlate to the Easter celebration. This will help the film continue strong business throughout the next holiday week.

In addition to timing the release, Sony teamed up with pastors to promote the film, as well as with popular faith influencer Christian rock group Third Day. The band promoted the film and used social media to increase visibility and continue conversation about the film.

The Rise of Faith-Based Film

Sony/Tristar has seen a lot of success with faith-based films, especially since "Heaven Is for Real," which grossed 91 million during its run during the Easter holiday in 2014. That film stands as one of the highest grossing faith-based films of all time.

"Miracles From Heaven" looks to match that success. The company had hits with "War Room" and "Soul Surfer." Sony/Tristar has been able to promote these films to the right audiences and spread messages of hope to moviegoers. They have also showcased popular stars and made sure to provide mid-sized budgets from $10 million to $20 million to ensure more profitability.

Not all faith-based films have done so well. Some have flopped due to the oversaturation of the genre, while others never catch on because the message of faith is not really clearly communicated, such as "Mom's Night Out."

This is where "Miracles From Heaven" succeeded. The messages of the film were hope and the existence of miracles. The actors were also on board in promoting the themes. Derbez in particular talked a lot about hope, something that is predominant in Latino shows and soap operas.

"Miracles From Heaven" will likely continue to score big crowds. With Easter weekend coming up, the movie will likely surprise even more.

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