Producer DeVon Franklin On ‘The Star’ & Religion In Entertainment [VIDEO EXCLUSIVE]

DeVon Franklin, producer of The Star, believes that the movies are one of the most powerful mediums today to promote hope and faith. So his new film The Star tries to do just that – with a new take on the nativity story, as it is told from the point of view of the animals.

“We like to call it the greatest story never told… and that is one of the reasons I wanted to make it and that’s one of the reasons that got our incredible cast to want to do it, because we all were compelled to tell a familiar story in an unfamiliar way,” Franklin told uInterview in an exclusive video. “The lead character is Bo the donkey, that carries Mary and Joseph to the manger and we get a chance to see these events through his eyes, and he gets all of his animal friends to help ensure that Mary delivers the baby safely and that baby Jesus is born underneath the star according to prophecy.”

The animated film boasts an incredible cast as well, from Christopher Plummer to Keegan-Michael Key. “They’re all great, every piece of talent form the piece is my favorite,” the producer said. “Everyone from Steven Yuen to Zachary Levi to Gina Rodriguez to Oprah to Tyler Perry to Tracy Morgan to Kristen Chenoweth, Kelly Clarkson, Anthony Anderson, Patricia Heaton, We have an all-star cast that have come together to help bring this story to life and we also got Mariah Carey who did the lead song for the film, and it’s such an incredible song, we have Fifth Harmony that did an original song as well. We got Kirk Franklin, Yolanda Adams, so all of their contributions are my favorite, and my hope and prayer is that when the audience sees the film, that they will be their favorites too.”

Franklin explains that faith and entertainment once helped him through a tough time. “Part of my mission is to bring faith and hope to the world through the medium of entertainment. Entertainment is one of the most influential mediums in the world and so I just want to be a part of it to make a positive contribution,” he said. “I lost my father when I was 9-years-old. He died of a heart attack at the age of 36, and I can tell you that entertainment played a vital role in giving me the hope and inspiration to push through that tragedy. So I am committed to making content that can help others do the same, and that’s one of the reasons I wanted to make a movie like The Star, because I do believe it’s a champion and a banner for hope, inspiration, and faith in a time like this.”

The Star hits theaters on Nov. 17. See the trailer below.

Full interview transcript below:

Q: What is the plot of ‘The Star?’

A: The Star is exactly how you said, it’s a new take on the nativity story. We like to call it the greatest story never told because you’ve never seen this story told from the animals point of view, and that is one of the reasons I wanted to make it and that’s one of the reasons that got our incredible cast to want to do it, because we all were compelled to tell a familiar story in an unfamiliar way. The lead character is Bo the donkey that carries Mary and Joseph to the manger and we get a chance to see these events through his eyes, and he gets all of his animal friends to help ensure that Mary delivers the baby safely and that baby Jesus is born underneath the star according to prophecy.

Q: Who is your favorite voice actor?

A: They’re all great, every piece of talent from the piece is my favorite. Everyone from Steven Yuen to Zachary Levi to Gina Rodriguez to Oprah to Tyler Perry to Tracy Morgan to Kristen Chenoweth, Kelly Clarkson, Anthony Anderson, Patricia Heaton, We have an all-star cast that have come together to help bring this story to life and we also got Mariah Carey who did the lead song for the film, and it’s such an incredible song, we have Fifth Harmony that did an original song as well. We got Kirk Franklin, Yolanda Adams, so all of their contributions are my favorite, and my hope and prayer is that when the audience sees the film, that they will be their favorites too.

Q: How did you plan on popularizing religious stories?

A: Part of my mission is to bring faith and hope to the world through the medium of entertainment. Entertainment is one of the most influential mediums in the world and so I just want to be a part of it to make a positive contribution. I lost my father when I was 9-years-old. He died of a heart attack at the age of 36, and I can tell you that entertainment played a vital role in giving me the hope and inspiration to push through that tragedy. So I am committed to making content that can help others do the same, and that’s one of the reasons I wanted to make a movie like The Star, because I do believe it’s a champion and a banner for hope, inspiration, and faith in a time like this.