Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul. To Hit Theaters And Peacock In September

Sundance hit "Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.," which Focus Features and Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw Productions acquired for distribution last month, now has a release date. The film, starring Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown as a married couple mounting a comeback for the scandal-hit megachurch they lead, will have a simultaneous release in theaters and streaming on Peacock on Labor Day weekend in September.

"Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul," marks the feature-film debut of the Ebo twins, writer-director Adamma Ebo and producer Adanne Ebo, and their production company, Pinky Promise. The movie is based on a short film of the same name, released online through Issa Rae's HOORAE Media in 2019. Among its long list of producers and executive producers are Peele, Hall, Brown, the Ebos, Oscar winner Daniel Kaluuya, Amandla Crichlow, Jessamine Burgum, Matthew Cooper, Rowan Riley, and Kara Durrett.

Below, you can see the original, 15-minute "Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul," short film, which stars Brittany Bellizeare and Theodus Crane as the first lady and pastor of Wander to Greater Paths Baptist Church, who start a roadside ministry where they're soliciting tithes — essentially panhandling (and "praise" miming). Due to some unspecified controversy involving the pastor, which they're in complete denial about, it's as much a challenge for them to get butts back in pews as it is for non-franchise films in general to get butts back in theaters. But hey, "you think Jesus Christ gave up after a couple of oopsie-doopsies? No, he did not."

As you can see, "Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.," utilizes a mockumentary format as its characters talk to the camera and hawk their religious wares by the side of the road. However, it also takes a seriocomic turn when the precise nature of the scandal affecting the church begins to come into focus more.

This time, Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown will be donning their Sunday best and ascending to the gold throne of said church. "Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul." also has Kaluuya's 59% Productions behind it, and Hall's upcoming appearance as one of the three hosts on Oscar night might help give her and it a boost of further recognition. Early on, Hall gained exposure alongside Anna Faris as a fixture of the "Scary Movie" franchise for its first four installments. More recently, she has appeared in shows like "Black Monday" and "Nine Perfect Strangers."

Last year's Academy Awards went without a host, but this year's ceremony will employ a three-act structure, with Hall hosting one hour and Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes hosting the other two. Brown, meanwhile, is about to wrap up his six-year stint on the NBC drama, "This Is Us," when it concludes its final season on May 24, 2022.

Here's the official synopsis for "Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul."

In HONK FOR JESUS. SAVE YOUR SOUL., proud first lady of a Southern Baptist megachurch, Trinitie Childs (Regina Hall) carries immense responsibility on her shoulders. After a scandal involving her husband, Pastor Lee-Curtis Childs (Sterling K. Brown), the church is forced to close temporarily, leaving Trinitie struggling to manage the aftermath. Now Trinitie and Lee-Curtis must rebuild their congregation and reconcile their faith by all means necessary to make the biggest comeback that commodified religion has ever seen.

"Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul." is coming to theaters and Peacock on Friday, September 2, 2022.