Pro-Life Film 'Unplanned' Goes Gangbusters, Hits Amazon Best-Seller List on Release
The true story of one woman’s moral journey from Planned Parenthood abortion clinic director to prominent pro-life activist, Pure Flix Entertainment’s “Unplanned” was met with unrivaled backlash from every major facet of the cultural machine from production to release.
From the film’s promotional page being suspended on Twitter for a time to a largely unwarranted “R” rating from the Motion Picture Association of America, Abby Johnson’s story struck a nerve with the abortion activists in Hollywood and the Silicon Valley.
Johnson and the team behind “Unplanned” had plenty of cause to celebrate Tuesday, however, as the film skyrocketed to the top of the Amazon best-sellers list in its first day of disk and digital sale.
“It’s just really exciting,” Johnson told The Western Journal. “I think it just shows that the issue of abortion is certainly not settled in our country.”
In less than one full day on the Amazon Prime store, the film has topped out the “Best Sellers in Movies & TV” listings, surpassing even Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures’ “Avengers: Endgame” — the highest-grossing box-office film of all time, The Daily Signal reported.
Look who’s number one!!! @UnplannedMovie pic.twitter.com/GbF9aInhH5
— Abby Johnson (@AbbyJohnson) August 13, 2019
“I hope this empowers pro-life people and encourages them to get out in their community and be pro-life with the people around them,” Johnson said.
Based on Johnson’s memoir of the same name, “Unplanned” saw tremendous success in its national release, ranking fourth nationwide and pulling in more than $6 million on opening weekend.
The film went on to gross nearly $19 million in the 18 weeks that followed, according to Box Office Mojo.
“You never know how successful films are going to be but it did very well in the box office. So, I’m not too terribly surprised that it’s doing well in sales now that it’s out on disc and for streaming,” Johnson told The Western Journal.
According to Johnson, the numbers may have even been a direct result of harsh push-back from progressive abortion activists intent on dragging the pro-life movement through the mud.
“We, at the very beginning, really just hoped and prayed that any negative attack that came out about the movie would be used for good and promote the film,” she said. “And that’s exactly what’s happened.
“Getting the ‘R’ rating helped us tremendously. We didn’t really see it at the time, but it generated a lot of attention and a lot of press for the movie. It raised a lot of questions about why a film that shows an abortion, or imitated abortion, would be rated ‘R.'”
“The Pro-Choice movement didn’t like it — and we expected that — but they continued to write about it and continued to talk about it and that just fueled the interest and questions around it, and it got people to the theater,” Johnson said.
Now, “Unplanned” seems to be garnering just as much attention with its home media release.
And all with “no promotion” and no television or online advertisements, according to the film’s official Twitter account.
No promotion. No ads.
We’ve barely mentioned our DVD release on social media. https://t.co/D5ayotFbtq— UnplannedMovie (@UnplannedMovie) August 12, 2019
Fans and supporters came out of the woodwork to support the home media release on social media, sending words of encouragement to Johnson and Ashley Bratcher, who portrays Johnson on the screen.
“Read the book..I loved it…not sure I can see the movie…lots of triggers,” one supporter wrote.
To which the prominent pro-lifer proposed the fan “could buy one and donate it to your public library” for others to see.
You could buy one and donate it to your public library! 🙂
— Abby Johnson (@AbbyJohnson) August 13, 2019
Johnson told The Western Journal it is her hope the film will continue to grow outside the box-office, being used as a “tool” to inform Americans and help them draw their own conclusions on the issue of abortion — just as she has.
“I’d love for it to be seen as a tool. I hope, whether or not someone supports abortion or is against abortion, that people will at least watch it,” Johnson said. “People should watch the film and see what they support.”
“Don’t be an ignorant and uneducated champion of something you know very little about. That’s not doing you any favors and it’s not doing the movement you stand for any favors,” she added.
“I would encourage people to be informed, to watch the movie, to make up their own minds and make their own decisions.”
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