Contact:
Tara Powers, Brian Burch
(616) 233-0500
tpowers@lambert-edwards.com
bburch@lambert-edwards.com
Dramatized Audio Product Hits Stores This Week
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – An epic project of literally biblical proportion hits stores nationwide this week.
Featuring an A-Level cast of professional performers and more than 90 hours of story mixed with theatrical-style sound effects and an original orchestral score, Inspired By… The Bible Experience: The Complete Bible brings both the Old and New Testaments of God's Word to life. The audio product includes the voices of nearly 400 world-renowned African American actors, artists, and Christian leaders, including Forest Whitaker, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Denzel and Pauletta Washington, Common, Nick Cannon, Angela Bassett, Alfre Woodard and Bishop T.D. Jakes.
Zondervan, the world's leading Bible publisher, and Hollywood production team Inspired By Media Group released Inspired By… The Bible Experience: The Complete Bible as a follow up to the phenomenally received New Testament version, which released in October 2006 to rave reviews, a spot among the bestselling Christmas products of the year, and supreme distinction as the 2007 Audiobook of the Year.
"The consumer demand for this product is unprecedented in the Bible category as people move from simply reading this ancient book to truly experiencing its characters, stories, and inspiration," said Bruce Ryskamp, president and CEO of Zondervan. "The impact of God's Word delivered by engaging voices and punctuated by Hollywood-style sound effects transforms listeners and makes them participants in the Bible's drama."
Three years in the making, Inspired By… The Bible Experience: The Complete Bible is the result of more than 3,000 recording hours. The final product features more than 90 hours on 78 audio CDs or eight MP3-formatted CDs. Based on pre-sales activity and consumer demand, Zondervan and Inspired By Media Group expect the Old Testament and Complete Bible products to outsell the New Testament release, which was Zondervan's fastest-selling Bible product of all time and is already the bestselling audio Bible ever.
Inspired By… The Bible Experience is available this week in stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com, Wal-Mart.com, BarnesandNoble.com, FamilyChristian.com, ChristianBook.com, and most Internet book retailers. It is also available at Audible.com in 40 individual digital bundles and will soon join the New Testament edition on iTunes. Audio samples and behind-the-scenes trailers are available at www.zondervan.com/TBE.
"People are blown away when they listen to Inspired By… The Bible Experience: The Complete Bible. It has all the audio elements of a major motion picture, and the result is truly cinema of the mind," said Paul Caminiti, vice president and publisher of Bibles for Zondervan. "The actors' performances, based on the highly readable TNIV translation against the backdrop of an original musical score featuring the Prague Philharmonic Symphony, make it the most accessible and understandable Bible ever. We expect Inspired By… The Bible Experience in Old Testament and Complete Bible formats to outpace the already record-breaking performance of the New Testament as people of all ages and backgrounds experience the Bible in a new way."
Kyle Bowser, producer with Inspired By Media Group, added: "We are thrilled to be able to bring this project to completion. Inspired By… The Bible Experience: The Complete Bible is the result of a team of dedicated people -- talented cast, producers, and engineers -- who shared a common vision to bring the Bible to life in a groundbreaking way. We're honored by awards and excited about brisk sales, but at the end of the day, our hope is that Inspired By… The Bible Experience: The Complete Bible will help people of all walks of life engage in the Bible and have their hearts uplifted and transformed."
Critically acclaimed for its best-in-class production quality, the New Testament edition of Inspired By… The Bible Experience quickly became the category leader. Since its release last fall, it has sold more than 325,000 units and has become not just the bestselling audio Bible, but also one of the industry's fastest-selling new Bibles, outselling perennial bestsellers. In June it was named 2007 Audiobook of the Year, the highest honor of the Audio Publishers Association.
About Inspired By Media Group
Branded by its signature banner Inspired By…, Inspired By Media Group, Inc., is committed to serving the faith-based and general markets by creating family oriented products that are culturally relevant in scope. With more than a combined 40 years in the convergent areas of music, television, film, theater, literature, new media, and technology, the company is an industry leader in delivering contemporary multimedia products. Visit Inspired By Media Group on the Web at www.inspiredby.com.
Zondervan, a
HarperCollins company, is a world leader in Christian communications and the leading Christian publishing brand. For more than 75 years, Zondervan has delivered transformational Christian experiences through general and academic resources by influential leaders and emerging voices, and been honored with more Christian Book Awards than any other publisher. Headquartered in Grand Rapids, Mich., with offices in San Diego and Miami, Zondervan conducts events and publishes its bestselling
Bibles,
books,
audio,
video,
curriculum,
software, and
digital products through its
Zondervan,
eZondervan,
Zonderkidz,
Youth Specialties,
Editorial Vida, and
National Pastors Convention brands. Zondervan resources are sold worldwide through retail stores, online, and by
Zondervan ChurchSource, and are translated into nearly 200 languages in more than 60 countries. Visit Zondervan on the Internet at
www.zondervan.com (mobile site:
zvan.mobi).
