Writers and directors Daniel and Matthew Kooman (featured bottom) are preparing to release their feature film, “Daniel and the Fiery Furnace,” in over a thousand theaters nationwide.
The brothers behind Unveil Studios recently appeared on American Family Radio (AFR)’s “At the Core” program and said their journey into biblical storytelling stems from a desire to bring Scripture to life in a way that resonates deeply with audiences.
“Our name is actually rooted in 2 Corinthians, you know, those who see the Lord with unveiled face to behold the glory of the Lord. So, we came up with Unveiled Studios, and it's been something that we've been passionate about — telling stories that impact the human heart, and what impacts the heart more than the Bible,” Daniel says.
Unlike traditional Hollywood productions, the project relied heavily on crowdfunding, allowing thousands of believers to directly back the film's production.
“By going through a crowdfund, we were able to engage a really excited core group of people to become fans and investors at the same time,” Matthew states. “And we're finding that now, as we're getting the movie out into theaters, they're engaged too now and part of the journey with us.”
Filmed over nearly a month on location in India, production was not without its hurdles. Matthew recalled how the environment added a tangible weight to key scenes, such as the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to bow before a king's statue.
“So, we had, you know, on the day we're filming the Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego not bowing to an idol, we have idol worship all around us. And so, we were really feeling like we were in the midst of that spiritual battle as we were making the movie,” Matthew says.
Beyond the historical scale, Daniel pointed out that the message of the exile in Babylon holds a larger significance across the entire narrative of scripture.
“Why is this such a significant part of the Scripture? And we believe the answer is because it begins to unveil the Gentile history of the path to a Messiah, and the Messiah was first for the Jews and then for the Gentiles,” Daniel
“Daniel and the Fiery Furnace” opens in theaters nationwide on September 18.
