How little-known filmmaker Jon Erwin holds a record for producing four of the most successful films

One of America’s best filmmakers – labeled as more successful than even Steven Spielberg – is a director you’ve probably never heard of.

Jon Erwin, a 40-year-old director and producer from Birmingham, Alabama, has set the film industry on fire with his faith-based films that have received critical acclaim across the country.

He has now made film history as the only director to earn four A+ grades on CinemaScore, beating A Few Good Men director Rob Reiner and Forest Gump director Robert Zemeckis.

Erwin’s films Woodlawn (2015), I Can Only Imagine (2018), American Underdog (2021) and Jesus Revolution (2023) have all received the prestigious CinemaScore ranking – something many of Hollywood’s top stars have failed to achieve with just one film.

Only three directors in history have earned three A+ ratings: Rob Reiner for The Princess Bride (1987), When Harry Met Sally (1989), and A Few Good Men (1992); Alex Kendrick for his films War Room (2015), Overcomer (2019) and Courageous (2011); and Andrew Erwin for co-directing the first three films with his brother.

One of America’s best filmmakers is a director you’ve probably never heard of. Pictured: Brent McCorkle and Jon Erwin (right) attend the Jesus Revolution premiere, February 15, 2023

CinemaScore is a market research company founded in 1979. Company representatives conduct surveys of audiences who have seen the film in theaters and then provide the data to production companies and entertainment magazines.

Harold Mintz, president of the movie review poll, announced: “Jon Erwin has now achieved four A+ CinemaScore rankings, more than any other filmmaker since we collected data.

‘It’s a rarity for a director to achieve that feat once. But to reach that goal four times isn’t just an incredible accolade – it’s unprecedented. Congratulations to Jon and Brent McCorkle and the whole Kingdom Story Company team.”

While Erwin now has four of the accolades to his name, multi-Oscar-winning director Steven Spielberg has only two for ET (1982) and Schindler’s List (1993).

Jon was born in 1982 in his native Alabama, the son of a senator and evangelical minister. Their grandfather was Henry E. Erwin, a World War II recipient of the Medal of Honor, the highest American military decoration.

He began making films with his brother in 2005. Their first film was a documentary about a steel cross discovered amidst the gruesome wreckage of the World Trade Center towers after the September 11 attacks, called The Cross And The Towers (2006).

They then released their first feature film together in March 2014, an anti-abortion Christian film called October Baby.

They have since produced and directed several films together, many of which grossed millions of dollars at the box office on relatively small budgets compared to other Hollywood blockbusters.

Woodlawn (2015): The film tells the story of gifted black high school football player Nathan, played by Caleb Castille, as he joins his school’s mostly white football team

The brother’s first film to receive the CinemaScore A+ was Woodlawn (2015)

The brothers founded the Kingdom Story Company in 2018 to specialize in faith-based films.

The brother’s first film to receive the CinemaScore A+ was Woodlawn (2015). The film shows the true story of Tandy Gerelds and Tony Nathan.

The 2015 film tells the story of gifted black high school football player Nathan, played by Caleb Castille, as he joins his school’s mostly white football team following the desegregation of educational institutions in Alabama in the 1970s. He experiences racism on and off the field.

I Can Only Imagine (2018) focused on the true story of one of the best-selling Christian singles of all time – MercyMe’s song of the same name.

It tells the story of musician Bart Millard, played by Michael Finley, and his relationship with his abusive father. The film grossed a whopping $86 million worldwide on a production budget of $7 million.

I Can Only Imagine (2018): The film focused on the true story of one of the best-selling Christian singles of all time – MercyMe’s song of the same name. Bart Millard plays Michael Finley

I Can Only Imagine (2018): Brody Rose plays a young Bart Millard

They also released American Underdog in 2021, a biopic about NFL quarterback, MVP and Hall of Famer Kurt Warner.

The coming-of-age film tells the story of Warner stocking the shelves of a local supermarket into one of the greatest footballers of all time. The movie took in $27 million at the box office, starring Zachary Levi.

But the film that pushed Erwin ahead of all other directors on CinemaScore’s top list was Jesus Revolution, which was released this year.

The film defied all expectations and grossed a whopping $15 million in its opening weekend.

Frasier star Kelsey Grammer plays Reverend Chuck Smith, depicting the Christian movement that spread across the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Despite being described as “bland” and a “slog” by some reviewers, the film has proved to be a hit with American audiences.

American Underdog (2021): The biopic tells the story of NFL quarterback, MVP and Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, played by Zachary Levi (above)

American Underdog (2021): Zachary Levi (right) stars with Bruce McGill

Jesus Revolution (2023): Kelsey Grammer is depicted in a scene from Jesus Revolution

Jesus Revolution (2023): Frasier star Kelsey Grammer plays Pastor Chuck Smith, depicting the late 1960s and early 1970s Christian movement

Jesus Revolution (2023): Despite being described as “bland” and a “slog” by some reviewers, the film has proven to be a hit with American audiences