Comedy Starring Christian Rapper Lecrae Parodies Religious Scandals

By Leah Marianne Klett

The trailer for the new film "Believe Me" starring Christian rapper Lecrae has just been released, giving viewers a preview of the hilarious, clean-cut comedy due out later this year.

The comedy will open September 26th of this year www.believememovie.com

Riot Studios, the same Christian company responsible for the documentaries "Beware of Christians" and "One Nation Under God" produced the film which stars Grammy Award-winning rapper Lecrae Moore,  Alex Russell , Zachary Knighton and Nick Offerman.

"Believe Me" involves the schemes of four desperate, broke college seniors  who decide to start a fake Christian charity with the intention of using the money to pay their tuitions. "It's only a sin if you get caught," reads the tagline on the official website for "Believe Me."

The producers of the film says "Believe Me" intends to explore the perceptions of American Christian culture from the outside-in.

"'Believe Me' is a parody on religious scandals," says co-producer and co-writer Michael B. Allen in a press release. "It holds up a mirror for viewers to see themselves and their assumptions from a new perspective."

While the movie is not a traditional "faith-based film," it will certainly be marketed to Christians, said writer and co-producer Will Bakke.

"The Christian demographic is huge, and recent religious films like 'God's Not Dead,' 'Heaven Is for Real' and 'Noah' have outperformed box office expectations because of their religious fan bases," Bakke told the Christian Post.

"But to be clear, 'Believe Me' is not a Christian movie. Christianity is the backdrop to the story, but there's no hidden agenda or altar call at the end of it," he clarified.

Bakke also said he hopes that non-Christians will be attracted to the film as well.

"I think atheists and non-believers will see themselves in this film as much as Christians will. We don't hold back on the struggles of faith, no matter which side of the fence you're on. It takes as much faith to not believe in God as it does to believe in Him. I hope people will feel that we were fair to both sides of the discussion," he said.

Riot Studios, founded in 2010, says of its mission: "We want to tell stories that compel viewers to challenge their beliefs, weigh the alternatives, and laugh while doing so. We aspire to make transparent and thoughtful art through film."

The film will be released in theatres across the country on September 26, 2014.

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