Journey to Bethlehem

{{Infobox film

| name = Journey to Bethlehem

| image = Journey_to_bethlehem_theatrical_poster.jpg

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Adam Anders

| writer = {{plainlist|

Adam Anders
Peter Barsocchini

}}

| producer = {{plainlist|

Adam Anders
Brandt Andersen
Steve Barnett
Ryan Busse
Stephen Meinen
Alan Powell

}}

| starring = {{plainlist|

}}

| cinematography = Xavi Giménez

| editing = Sabrina Plisco

| music = {{plainlist|

Adam Anders
Nikki Anders
Peer Åström

}}

| studio = {{ubl|

Affirm Films
Monarch Media
SPACE + ART Entertainment
Night Light

}}

| distributor = Sony Pictures Releasing

| released = {{Film date|2023|11|10|United States}}

| runtime = 98 minutes{{cite web |url=https://www.ifco.ie/en/ifco/pages/EA981A7B00558BC1 |title=Journey to Bethlehem (PG) |website=Irish Film Classification Office |date=October 6, 2023 |access-date=October 7, 2023}}

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget = $6 million

| gross = $7.9 million{{Cite The Numbers|title=Journey to Bethlehem (2023)|id=Journey-to-Bethlehem-(2023) |access-date=December 22, 2023}}{{Cite web|title=Journey to Bethlehem (2023)|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl330924801/?ref_=bo_da_table_7 |website= Box Office Mojo|access-date=December 25, 2023}}

}}

Journey to Bethlehem is a 2023 American Christian musical film directed by Adam Anders in his feature-length directorial debut. Written by Anders and Peter Barsocchini, the film stars Milo Manheim in his feature film debut and Fiona Palomo as Joseph and Mary, with Antonio Banderas as King Herod.

Premise

{{blockquote|A young woman carrying an unimaginable responsibility. A young man torn between love and honor. A jealous king who will stop at nothing to keep his crown. This live-action Christmas musical celebration for the entire family, weaves classic Christmas melodies in to new pop songs in a music-infused retelling of the timeless story of Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus.}}

Cast

Fiona Palomo as Mary
Milo Manheim as Joseph
Lecrae as Gabriel
Joel Smallbone as Antipater
Antonio Banderas as Herod the Great
Antonio Cantos as Joachim (father of Mary)
Maria Pau Pigem as Anne (mother of Mary)
Moriah Peters as Deborah
{{ill|Stephanie Gil|es}} as Rebekah
Rizwan Manji as Caspar
Geno Segers as Balthazar
Omid Djalili as Melchior
{{ill|Antonio Gil|es}} as Jacob (father of Joseph)
Alicia Borrachero as Rachel (mother of Joseph)

Production

The film and its cast was announced in March 2023, with newcomer Fiona Palomo as Mary, Zombies star Milo Manheim as Joseph, and Antonio Banderas as Herod the Great.{{cite web |url=https://www.movieguide.org/news-articles/sony-affirm-announces-cast-for-upcoming-nativity-musical.html |title=SONY AFFIRM ANNOUNCES CAST FOR UPCOMING NATIVITY MUSICAL |website=Movieguide |date=March 1, 2023 |access-date=June 15, 2023}}{{cite web |title=Milo Manheim Plays Joseph In 'Journey to Bethlehem': Everything We Know About the Movie Musical |url=https://www.j-14.com/posts/milo-manheim-journey-to-bethlehem-movie-release-date-cast/ |website=J-14 |date=May 1, 2023 |access-date=June 15, 2023}} Shooting locations included the Santa Bárbara Castle in Alicante.{{Cite web|url=https://www.informacion.es/cultura/2023/05/19/alicante-musical-rodo-antonio-banderas-87589982.html|website=Información|title=Trailer de "Journey to Bethlehem": el musical que rodó Antonio Banderas en Alicante se estrena en noviembre en EE UU|date=19 May 2023|first=Cristina|last=Martínez|publisher=Prensa Ibérica}}

= Music =

The following soundtrack was released on Nov 3, 2023.{{Cite web |title=Journey to Bethlehem Soundtrack (2023) |url=https://www.soundtrack.net/album/journey-to-bethlehem/ |access-date=2023-11-13 |website=www.soundtrack.net}} The deluxe version containing the original score was released on November 24, 2023. Meanwhile, the soundtrack album edition with instrumental music was released one year later on November 29, 2024.{{Cite web |title=Journey to Bethlehem (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack with Instrumentals) |url=https://open.spotify.com/album/3hDNuvuiL2HdftxyGjkE7G |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=open.spotify.com}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Track listing

|title1= O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

|length1= 0:18

|title2= Journey to Bethlehem

|length2= 1:47

|title3= Mary's Getting Married

|length3= 3:34

|title4= Good to be King

|length4= 2:57

|title5= Can We Make This Work

|length5= 2:46

|title6= Mother To A Savior and King

|length6= 3:54

|title7= The Ultimate Deception

|length7= 2:55

|title8= Three Wise Guys

|length8= 2:34

|title9= We Become We

|length9= 2:08

|title10= In My Blood

|length10= 2:54

|title11= The Nativity Song

|length11= 4:04

|title12= Brand New Life

|length12= 3:27

|total_length = 33:24

}}

Release

Journey to Bethlehem was theatrically released on November 10, 2023, by Sony Pictures and Affirm Films. A teaser trailer premiered in front of Affirm's Big George Foreman, before being released on YouTube.{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97fogYVPT-s |title=Journey To Bethlehem - Teaser Trailer |website=YouTube |date=April 28, 2023 |access-date=June 15, 2023}}

The film was released on digital platforms on December 8, 2023, followed by a Blu-ray and DVD release on January 16, 2024.{{cite web|url=https://www.dvdsreleasedates.com/movies/11461/journey-to-bethlehem|title=Journey to Bethlehem (2023)|website=www.dvdsreleasedates.com|access-date=January 10, 2024}}

Reception

= Box office =

In the United States and Canada, Journey to Bethlehem was released alongside The Marvels, and was projected to gross $1–3 million from 1,823 theaters in its opening weekend.{{Cite web |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |first2= Nancy |last2= Tartaglione |date=November 7, 2023 |title= 'The Marvels' With $140M Global Opening, Not Expected To Be Marvelous At Weekend Box Office – Preview |url= https://deadline.com/2023/11/the-marvels-box-office-opening-projection-1235595720/ |access-date=November 8, 2023 |website=Deadline Hollywood }} The film made $1 million on its first day, including $250,000 from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $2.4 million, finishing in seventh.{{Cite web |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=November 12, 2023 |title= 'The Marvels' Meltdown: Disney MCU Seeing Lowest B.O. Opening Ever At $47M+ — What Went Wrong |url= https://deadline.com/2023/11/box-office-the-marvels-1235599363/ |access-date=November 12, 2023 |website=Deadline Hollywood}}

= Critical response =

{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|75|6.3|24|consensus=Journey to Bethlehem adds a solidly traditional and surprisingly fun – albeit occasionally treacly – entry to the lengthy list of Nativity films.}}{{Cite web|title= Journey to Bethlehem |url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/journey_to_bethlehem |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=December 1, 2023}} Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A–" on A+ to F scale, while those surveyed by PostTrak gave it an 81% positive score. In 2024, it was awarded the Epiphany Prize® for Inspiring Movies by Movieguide at the Movieguide Awards.{{Cite web |title=The Movieguide® Awards |url=https://movieguideawards.com |access-date=2024-08-30 |website=Movieguide® Awards |language=en-US}}