Amazing Grace Grosses Over £2m

|PIC1|Amazing Grace, the film that tells the story of William Wilberforce's 20-year fight to bring an end to the British slave trade, has grossed over £2m at the UK box office and remained in the UK Top 10 films for four weeks - at one point snatching second place from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

"It's wonderful to see film audiences embracing such a wide variety of heroes, with William Wilberforce admirably holding his own against King Leonidas and Donatello!" said May-Lynn Chang of Bristol Bay Productions, producers of the film.

"We believe that an effective grassroots campaign in churches and, just as importantly, word-of-mouth endorsements and a wide-ranging advertising and PR campaign, made a real impact in a highly-competitive market."

BBC producer Ashley Peatfield, meanwhile, said he had never seen so many cars with Christian fish signs outside his local cinema in Leeds.

Many schools and churches block-booked with one school in Clapham taking years 7, 8 and 9. "Slavery is already on our curriculum," said teacher Julie McCann, "but seeing a movie on the subject is motivational. We are looking forward to using the DVD - the film's PG rating is particularly helpful."

By the end of April Amazing Grace will have played in some 370 different UK cinemas, with more to follow in May and June.

"This is a significant run," explained May-Lynn Chang. "Amazing Grace has been welcomed by faith communities but also won significant acclaim in the wider secular context - our aim from the outset."