Mel Gibson’s 2004 film about the crucifixion of Jesus, “The Passion of the Christ,” raked in nearly $84 million its opening weekend – a figure the film industry couldn’t ignore. Ever since, Christian movies such as 2015’s “War Room” have taken Hollywood by storm, and writer and producer Tim Gautier hopes to do the same with his new evangelical project, “Eternal Salvation.” The film, which has been called the Christian “Wall Street,” centers around main character Jonathan Wright’s spiritual awakening after a tragic episode on the golf course. Wright, played by Bradley Snedeker, appears to have it all – a beautiful wife, 7-year-old daughter and a new position at a successful banking firm. But soon after taking over a new client’s billion-dollar account, Wright suffers a life-threatening brain aneurysm that leaves him in a medically induced coma. After regaining consciousness, he experiences a supernatural encounter that prompts him to question life’s true meaning. “I wanted to tell a story about someone who has everything we as a society place value on and call it into question,” said Gautier. To make the movie, the writer-producer launched his Encino-based production company, Eternal Salvation Productions, in 2014 at the start of the project. The film’s release date is March 8. “So far, we have gotten very positive feedback on the film,” said Gautier. “We hope it’s going to resonate not just with Christians but also with people not sure what they believe in.” “Box-office receipts show that movies with Christian themes or about issues important to Christians are definitely growing in popularity,” said Christopher Hansen, chairman of the department of film and digital media at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. “‘War Room’ made about $70 million at the box office from an initial budget of about $3 million. It’s hard to argue with those numbers.” The production company declined to disclose the budget for “Salvation.” However, profits aren’t Gautier’s primary motive for the project. He said his focus is to share the Gospel with others. – Stephanie Henkel