Podcast episode
Episode 208 – How Faith Investors Are Backing Hollywood’s Next Wave | John Coleman
Join host Justin Forman as he sits down with John Coleman, a leading investor in faith-driven entertainment, on the set of The Chosen to explore the explosive growth happening in faith and family content. This conversation reveals how Christians are reclaiming their place as culture-shapers through strategic capital deployment in Hollywood.
All opinions expressed on this podcast, including the team and guests, are solely their opinions. Host and guests may maintain positions in the companies and securities discussed. This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as specific investment advice for any individual or organization.
Episode Notes
What happens when faith-driven investors apply venture capital rigor to Hollywood? John Coleman reveals how the entertainment landscape is transforming as Christians reclaim their historical role as culture’s greatest storytellers. From The Chosen’s 520 million views to Wonder Project’s partnerships with Amazon and Sony, discover why this moment represents the “first inning” of a cultural shift decades in the making.
Learn how Wonder Project raised $100 million from faith-driven families to unlock hundreds of millions more from major studios, creating commercially viable infrastructure for authentic faith storytelling. John shares why betting on platforms rather than individual projects creates sustainable impact, how to apply private equity diligence to entertainment investments, and why this asset class can generate both market-rate returns and massive cultural influence.
This conversation explores the business side of faith-driven content—from tax credit financing and bank leverage to distribution agreements and portfolio approaches—revealing how strategic capital deployment can shift culture while building a self-sustaining ecosystem.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction on The Chosen Set
01:28 Why Entertainment Matters for Cultural Impact
02:46 Israel Trips and The Chosen’s Faith Impact
04:16 Christians Seeding Culture: The Lost Art of Storytelling
05:51 Explosion of Faith Content at Hollywood Scale
07:35 Beyond Movies: The Full Entertainment Spectrum
08:01 Gaming, Social, Animation: Reaching Every Generation
09:54 Foundation Groups: Faith Driven Investor Community
10:47 From Unicorn Creators to Complete Teams
11:43 Entertainment as Complex Business Infrastructure
12:50 Starting with Audience vs Passion Projects
13:40 Platform Shift: Wonder, Sycamore, Angel Studios
15:25 Creative Control and Studio Partnerships
15:58 Amazon Partnership: Collaboration Not Conflict
17:25 Public-Private Partnerships in Entertainment
18:07 Leveraging $100M to Access Billions
18:51 Wonder Project: How the Deal Came Together
21:02 Investment Rigor in Entertainment
22:11 Applying Private Equity Discipline to Content
23:50 Tax Credits, Bank Financing, and Leverage Tools
24:54 Portfolio Approach: Venture Capital Mindset
26:20 From Philanthropy to Sustainable Returns
27:32 Capital Needed: $200M Annual Commitment
29:12 Faith Driven Investor Conference Announcement
30:00 Measuring Cultural Impact You Can See
30:23 House of David: Viral Impact Stories
32:21 YouVersion Bible Spikes After Episodes Air
33:21 Entertainment vs Scripture: Pointing Not Replacing
34:43 Heroes in Museums vs Brothers in Story
35:46 God Chose the Weak to Lead Movements
37:27 Divine Timing: God Weaving Stories Together
38:38 Biblical Universe and Christian-Inspired Art
40:13 Gratitude and Encouragement
41:10 Invitation: Investing in Entertainment Course
42:19 Join Faith Driven Investor Community