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Kelsey Grammer‘s faith based comedy-drama Jesus Revolution has defied expectation and raked in an incredible $15M in it’s opening weekend.
The Frasier star, 68, plays pastor Chuck Smith and depicts the Christian movement in the late 1960s and early 1970s that spread across the United States.
Despite being described as ‘bland’ and a ‘slog’ by some reviewers the movie has proved a hit with American audiences, with a UK release date yet to be announced.
It’s been reported analysts had believed the Liongate release to earn between $6M and $7M during it’s first weekend, only to smash all expectations.
The offical synopsis reads: ‘In the 1970s, Greg Laurie and a sea of young people descend on sunny Southern California to redefine truth through all means of liberation. Inadvertently, Laurie meets a charismatic street preacher and a pastor who open the doors to a church to a stream of wandering youth’.
Flying high! Kelsey Grammer’s faith based comedy-drama Jesus Revolution has defied expectation and raked in an incredible $15M in it’s opening weekend
History: The Frasier star, 68, plays pastor Chuck Smith and depicts the Christian movement in the late 1960s and early 1970s that spread across the United States (co-stars Joel Courtney and Anna Grace Barlow pictured)
‘What unfolds is a counterculture movement that becomes the greatest spiritual awakening in American history’.
The Los Angeles Times described the flick as: ‘Unfortunately, despite the interesting history, the film itself is a dry, scattered slog, neutered of all the thorny, contradictory details of the real story’.
Meanwhile the Austin Chronicle gave the movie a two star review and Reel Reviews branded it a ‘bland made for TV-movie’.
It comes after it was revealed Only Fools and Horses star Nicholas Lyndhurst was busy filming the Frasier revival, it has been confirmed – in his first major role since his son’s death.
The legend will appear in two episodes of the Paramount+ reboot of the US sitcom – which was a Cheers spin-off – as Alan, a friend of Kelsey‘s character Dr Frasier Crane.
The 61-year-old actor – who played Rodney Trotter in Only Fools and Horses opposite Sir David Jason as his older brother Del Boy – will film his scenes in front of a live studio audience in LA.
Kelsey is delighted to have Nicholas onboard after they become friends from starring together in The 2019 West End production of The Man of La Mancha.
A representative for Frasier said: ‘Frasier Crane in the next chapter of his life as he returns to Boston with new challenges to face, new relationships to forge and an old dream or two to finally fulfill. Frasier has re-entered the building!’
Unepected: Despite being described as ‘bland’ and a ‘slog’ by some reviewers the movie has proved a hit with audiences
A little faith! According to Breitbart analysts had believed the Liongate release to earn between $6M and $7M during it’s first weekend, only to smash all expectations
The new series will also feature the actress Toks Olagundoye as Olivia, a co-worker of Frasier, and Jack Cutmore-Scott as the psychotherapeutic radio presenter’s son Freddy Crane.
Freddy is described as a mixture of his father and his grandfather, Marty Crane, a role played by John Mahoney, who passed away in 2019 aged 77 from complications from throat cancer.
The offspring of Frasier’s character description reads: ‘Years ago, Freddy rejected following in his father’s footsteps—dropping out of college to become a fireman—and he’s never looked back until now, when recent troubles have left him with no one to turn to in his life.’
News of the series – which will not involve his former co-stars David Hyde Pierce, Jane Leeves, and Peri Gilpin – was confirmed last month after speculation dating back to 2021.
Jack – who is best known for his work in the TV series Deceptio – quipped about his casting as reason to break his nearly five year Instagram hiatus.
The 35-year-old actor wrote on the social media platform in January: ‘Frasier’ is coming back!!!
‘That’s got to be worth an Instagram post after almost five years. Also hi! I know it’s been a while, but I hope you are doing well.’
Best known for his role as Rodney Trotter in British sitcom Only Fools And Horses, Nicholas’s performances in Goodnight Sweetheart, New Tricks and Butterflies are just a few other titles under his belt.
Role: It comes after it was revealed Only Fools and Horses star Nicholas Lyndhurst w as busy filming the Frasier revival, it has been confirmed – in his first major role since his son’s death
Exciting: The legend will appear in two episodes of the Paramount+ reboot of the US sitcom – which was a Cheers spin-off – as Alan, a friend of Kelsey Grammer’s character Dr Frasier Crane
Tough: The actor has had a difficult few years, after losing his son Archie at the age of 19 following a brain haemorrhage
The actor has had a difficult few years, after losing his son Archie at the age of 19 following a brain haemorrhage.
It was then claimed that he was considering retiring from acting following the tragic loss.
At the time the star’s close friend, writer Laurence Marks, 73, said that Nicholas may not return to public life after his heartache, something the actor’s camp insists is ‘ridiculous’.
Laurence told the Daily Star Sunday: ‘Nicholas underwent tragedy. It must have broken his heart. It would break anyone’s heart.
Friends: Kelsey is delighted to have Nicholas onboard after they become friends from starring together in The 2019 West End production of The Man of La Mancha
‘He has always kept himself to himself and now he’ll do that more than ever. Now he’s lost his son, he’ll never come out again. I doubt we will see him do any more acting.’
However, a representative for Nicholas told MailOnline: ‘It is complete nonsense that Nicholas Lyndhurst is retired or retiring.
It comes after an insider claimed that the long-anticipated Frasier sequel could leave fans disappointed over missing cast members, Z-list writers and producers and a lack of lavish sets.
Sources familiar with the new show, helmed by Kelsey Grammer as he reprises his role as Dr. Frasier Crane, claimed the set was running on a low-budget with novice actors and writers, RadarOnline reports.
Back in the day: Best known for his role as Rodney Trotter in British sitcom Only Fools And Horses (pictured with Dellboy), Nicholas’s performances in Goodnight Sweetheart, New Tricks and Butterflies are just a few other titles under his belt
‘With the Paramount+ Frasier reboot, you’re getting the actor you know and love in his most famous role, but you’re not getting much else,’ the sources said. ‘There will be no lavish sets and none of the beloved faces fans held dear. Even the writers and producers are Z-list.’
The alleged troubles come just months after Grammer, 67, announced that the reboot was greenlit by Paramount+, with the beloved actor serving as the executive producer.
The 90s saw Grammer propel to nationwide fame on the Cheers spin-off series, Frasier, with the actor reportedly in talks for years to try and revive the show.
However, Grammer is set to be the only returning original cast member after David Hyde Pierce, who played Fraiser’s little brother Niles, is said to have demanded a larger role in the reboot and more pay.
Reunion: News of the series – which will not involve his former co-stars David Hyde Pierce, Jane Leeves, and Peri Gilpin – was confirmed last month after speculation dating back to 2021
‘David has become a huge star on Broadway,’ a source told RadarOnline. ‘He doesn’t need the show, so he decided to leverage his appearance to the hilt. In the end, he overplayed his hand and lost.’
The fallout with Niles led to the show scrapping a big reunion scene and instead opting to move Dr. Frasier out of his Seattle hometown to a new city with a brand new cast.
‘They were all excited about coming back and were devastated when they found it wouldn’t be happening,’ an insider told the outlet.
The missing big-name actors are accompanied by a lack of seasoned writers, as the show’s chief scribes are Chris Harris and Joe Cristalli.
Both writers have short profiles on IMDB, with Harris previously working on How I Met Your Mother and David Letterman.
Cristalli’s best known work is Life In Pieces, a canceled CBS sitcom starring Colin Hanks, the son of famed actor Tom Hanks.
Despite the lack of big names attached to the show, sources said Kelsey is hoping his charm along will see long-time fans return.
‘Kelsey’s bet is he’ll be enough to attract a big audience,’ one insider said. ‘The reboot will have all of those delicious one-liners that made him so famous to begin with.’
Along with a missing Niles, one of the original show’s most popular characters, Frasier’s father, Martin, also won’t be returning.
Martin was played by John Mahoney, who died aged 77 in a Chicago hospice in February 2018 due to complications from throat cancer.
Also missing from the reboot will be Jane Leeves, who played Daphne Moon, and Peri Gilpin, who played Roz Doyle.
Their absence, Grammer said, will be dealt with on the show.
‘We’ll certainly be responsive about the fact that there was a brother and such. But the new world for Frasier is one of new friendships — and some new twists and turns he didn’t know were still in there,’ Grammer said in October.
Paramount+ confirmed the reboot had been in development in February 2021, with Grammer announcing last July that the scripting was underway.
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