'Camp Hideout' comedy infused with Christian values, counters 'unbiblical' Hollywood films

By Leah MarieAnn Klett, Assistant Editor Thursday, August 24, 2023

"Camp Hideout," starring "High School Musical" star Corbin Bleu and "Back to the Future" star Christopher Lloyd, is a family-friendly comedy about a troubled kid who goes to summer camp and finds a sense of purpose and belonging.

But beneath the surface, the film, from the Christian production company Called Higher Studios, delivers an important message: True happiness and transformation come through a relationship with Jesus — and an uplifting community matters.

"Our faith is very important to us at Called Higher Studios," producer Jason Brown told The Christian Post.

"We're owned by over 5,000 Christian brothers and sisters who have invested $100 or $1,000 with the mission to go and make content that spreads the name of Christ. It was very important for us to do something that lined up with our values, and that's why you'll see those elements in this film. We didn't want to be heavy-handed, we didn't want to beat kids over the head with Scripture. But if you watch the movie, you're going to probably pick out some things."

Directed by four-time Emmy winner Sean Olson, "Camp Hideout" follows Noah (Ethan Drew), a foster teen who finds himself on the wrong side of the law again. Instead of facing juvenile hall after a minor offense and tangling with two adversaries, he opts for summer camp thanks to the prodding of his social worker (Amanda Leighton).

However, he soon discovers that the camp's infamous owner, Falco (Lloyd), and his dog Lazarus aren't fond of kids. But things start looking up when Jake (Bleu), a positive camp leader, influences Noah's outlook. Noah begins to connect with other campers, yet trouble arises when adversaries come to reclaim what Noah had taken. Noah and his new friends create a hidden fortress in the forest, complete with inventive traps, zip lines and buzzing bees.

Surprisingly, the once stern Falco comes around, lending a hand to the campers, and together, they discover the importance of unity.

Brown shared how he and his partner, Philip Glasser, who has an impressive catalog of movies, were struck by inspiration for the film several years ago. The driving force, he said, was his kids and the joy they felt watching classic films like "Home Alone" and "Ernest Goes to Camp."

"I really realized that to speak into a kid, you have to get their attention first," he said. "We turned around and built this movie for the specific purpose of entertaining kids and pointing them back to Christ. We knew we had to get their attention first; to speak to anyone, you have to get their attention."

The approach wasn't about creating a blatant faith-based film but rather integrating subtle religious undertones. In one scene, for example, Bleu's character breaks through to Noah in a conversation — "and if you're a believer, you'll recognize that as the parable of the sower," Brown said.

"There are little easter eggs and elements through the film where we show Christian values. These kids really don't preach to Noah and they don't tell him the Gospel; they really show him the Gospel through their actions, friendship and belonging," he added.

The producer said that in the Book of Matthew, Jesus reminded the Pharisees to both "love the Lord your God" and "love your neighbor as yourself."

"Noah, who is from the foster care system, has a lot of walls up," he said. "These kids come alongside him, and with all of his faults, and with all of his lies, you know, they show him unconditional love. And it's in the form of, when the bad guys show up at the end of the movie, these kids all get together and the last third of the movie really is just 'Home Alone' with a lot of hijinks. It's a great physical comedy, but Noah in his journey ends up finding a family."

According to Brown, Called Higher Studios was the first Christian fan-owned company, predating Angel Studios and "The Chosen."

The idea, he said, was to allow Christians to be both emotionally and financially invested in content creation. "Camp Hideout" came to fruition after fans and viewers expressed a desire for family-friendly movies through a survey.

"For so long, Hollywood has been making what they want you to see," he said. "There's no shortage of content for kids where they're trying to promote unbiblical values and really have an agenda. It's great to get a chance to go to the end user, to the ticket buyer, and to ask them, 'Hey, what do you want to see? What do you want to be a part of?' And that was something that was really important for us, to go on this collective journey as a community."

Next, Called Higher Studios is gearing up for a project revolving around the life of Ann Beiler, founder of Auntie Anne's pretzels. A Mennonite farmer, Beiler grew her business from a single stand in 1987 into the world's largest hand-rolled soft pretzel franchise.

Beiler, an outspoken Christian, previously shared with CP how her success was forged after years of depression and shame stemming from tragedy in her life, including devastating personal loss, an abusive sexual relationship and spiritual manipulation.

"Without God, there would be no Auntie Anne's today. I can say that with confidence," Beiler told CP. "I would've died. I was about to run away and start a new life. Instead, God said, 'Get up off your knees.' What I know now is that all of the things I've experienced have been for a purpose; out of my pain, purpose was born."

"We're going to focus on turning her turning her life story into a film," Brown revealed. "We just want to keep doing what we're doing. We want to go and continue to make movies. And who knows, maybe there will be a 'Camp Hideout 2' in the future."

"Camp Hideout" hits theaters throughout the country on Sept. 15.