Not too long ago, it was hard to get biblical Scripture produced for the big screen or television. Occasionally, a faith-based production would crack open the door.
And then “The Chosen” kicked it in.
The massive popularity of that series showed there is a sizable market for the genre, and EKKL Pictures’ newest release brings one of the Bible’s most well-known tales to theaters.
“Daniel and the Fiery Furnace” is the work of Daniel and Matthew Kooman, brothers who both wrote and directed the film. The brothers spoke to The Epoch Times about bringing the story to the big screen.
It features Mena Massoud as Daniel. Massoud (who played the title role in the blockbuster “Aladdin”) stars with Elijah Alexander (Atticus in “The Chosen”) as the King.
It’s the story of Daniel and his three friends who oversee the construction of a golden idol for King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. When his friends refuse to bow before the statue, the King sentences them to death by throwing them into a furnace.
While what happens next is familiar to many, seeing a Bible story come to life on the silver screen (along with some impressive special effects) offers a much different perspective.
Storytellers
It’s been an interesting road for two siblings who, Daniel says, were actually Bible school dropouts. But they knew the incredible influence of media, and while the Kooman brothers have been working in the industry for 20 years, they have always wanted to make Scripture come alive.
They knew the Bible was a great source for stories that could be told in a visual way and make a strong impact. Seeing a story play out on the screen can have a different effect than simply reading it. “The Bible is a giant and wonderful story. If Jesus was here in 2026 he’d probably be a filmmaker and in media. There’s a lot of power in media and we wanted to bring a Godly perspective to the story.”
So, out of all the stories in the Bible, why this one? Daniel Kooman, who is actually named after the biblical prophet, called it a timeless story.
“The beginning of the story of Daniel is the beginning of the story of salvation being branched out to the Gentiles. Their faith was everything for them, and they really put God first, so we looked for those things in the storytelling.”
It’s also a challenge to hold the interest of moviegoers when most of them know the ending of the story. “I think when you bring actual Scripture to screen, it comes with new life. All of a sudden, it’s brand new. When people experience the word of God on screen, it will be brand new when you see it,” Daniel said.
Crowdfunding
The brothers wrote the script in two weeks. Shopping it to various studios got a lot of interest, but no firm commitment. Without an actual deal in place, they decided to go the crowdfunding route.
Instead of simply asking for donations, they wanted supporters to become part of the movie and share the future dividends, along with typical perks. “It has to be something people get behind because they believe in it,” said Daniel.
They got about more than 1,000 people to invest and now have a film that will be shown in 1,500 theaters. The brothers also have a documentary coming out this month called “Breath of Life,” which explores the artistic side of God.
Matthew Kooman talked about the collaboration process with his brother. A second pair of eyes on the script (especially from a sibling) helped critically. “At first, we verbally bounced ideas off each other. Then an outline.”
They quickly found out what worked and what didn’t. “When you have two people working on it, some of the bad ideas can get shut down better. We love correcting each other,” he said.
Matthew hopes the story will be uplifting for those who see the movie. “We live in times that are dark and heavy for a lot of people, and to be able to watch these three guys who basically put their lives on the line for what they believe is really inspiring. So you realize there’s no fire too hot to walk through.”
If moviegoers plan to see the movie in theaters, Matthew suggests bringing something along to read after the film ends. “We tell people to bring your Bibles, open it up after all the credits. We want you to read the Bible afterwards and ask yourself if your faith is in the right place.”
Up next for the brothers: more Daniel stories and one on Jeremiah. Matthew hopes fans won’t wait for the streaming version, that going to an actual theater is important for supporting faith-based films. “You’ve got to go to theaters to make these movies keep happening,” he said.
“Daniel and the Fiery Furnace” is now showing in theaters.
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