Hillsong UNITED has released the trailer for its highly anticipated upcoming documentary, Hillsong: Let Hope Rise, a theatrical worship experience coming to theaters this fall.
The film, which hits theaters September 16, documents the incredible rise of the Sydney-based 11-member band, led by Joel Houston, all volunteers or employees of Hillsong Church - founded by Joel's parents, Brian and Bobbie Houston.
"In the end our success is not about us, it's all about God. You take Him out of the equation, you got nothing," Brian Houston says in the trailer as the band's hit song "Oceans" plays in the background.
Directed by Michael John Warren (Fade to Black) and distributed by PureFlix, Let Hope Rise focuses on the band's history and journey from worshiping in Hillsong Church to recording their 11th album, traveling internationally and having 50 million people around the world sing their songs every week. Their albums have sold over 17 million copies, and their worship songs have been translated in about 60 languages.
Despite Hillsong UNITED's incredible success, Warren said he was struck by the band's humility and dedication to sharing the Gospel.
"I'm not a religious person, but I learned things from working with and becoming friends with the members of Hillsong UNITED," said Warren in a statement shared on the film website. "They are lovely people. They are sincerely giving. They are sincerely supportive. I don't believe the same things they believe, but I'm learning from them and I'm taking lessons from them and I believe I've become a better person having spent a year studying them."
He added that the Aussie band's mission is simple: make music to save souls.
"They are trying to get people to discover Jesus," Warren added. "That's probably the most righteous reason to make music. Whether you're religious or not, it's hard to look at that and not feel good about it."
Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston told USA Today he hopes the film will challenge the world's view of what it means to be a Christian.
"We're thrilled that Pure Flix, the No. 1 producer of faith films in the U.S., is our partner on this project," he said. "It's our hope that by sharing an up-close and unvarnished look inside our music and lives, we can shatter preconceived notions of what it means to follow Jesus in today's modern world."
Let Hope Rise is a co-production of Cantinas Entertainment, Grace Hill Media and MediaWeaver Entertainment.
