Thomas Nelson Inc. has announced a partnership with Lions Gate Entertainment, the independent studio that produced the 2006 Best Picture Academy Award-winner Crash, to be its exclusive distributor of DVDs in the Christian retail channel.

The first products to be distributed will be three documentaries based on The Case for Christ, The Case for a Creator and The Case for Faith (all published by Zondervan). The books by best-selling author Lee Strobel have sold more than 8 million copies combined. Produced by Illustra Media with Carmel Entertainment, The Case for Christ, the first documentary, will ship in the third quarter of 2007, Nelson officials said.

Nelson will also distribute the DVDs of forthcoming Lions Gate inspirational theatrical titles such as Church Boy, based on the life of gospel music icon Kirk Franklin, and a feature adaptation of Thomas Kinkade's painting The Christmas Cottage. A holiday release is planned for the movie, which is part of a production deal between Lionsgate and Kinkade. Church Boy is scheduled to be released in theaters in 2008.

Lions Gate President Steve Beeks said the company “is making a concerted effort to expand its leadership in the faith-based category. …Thomas Nelson has the best sales team in the industry, and they provide our faith-based product with unprecedented access to millions of proven Christian product buyers across the United States.”

Gary Davidson, senior vice president of Christian retail sales at Thomas Nelson, said “Thomas Nelson and Christian retail share the belief that the DVD medium has huge potential for revenue and market share growth in the foreseeable future.”

Lions Gate has carved out a niche in the African-American, faith-based market, releasing films such as Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Madea's Family Reunion and Daddy's Little Girls.

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