Premiering in theaters Friday, Kanye West’s 35-minute film, “Jesus is King,” made its debut alongside his ninth studio album. According to Variety, the short film, which played in limited showings, has reportedly generated over $1.03 million this past weekend. Debuting in 21 cities across the world including Los Angeles, London, Copenhagen, Melbourne, and Ye’s hometown Chicago, “Jesus is King” is expected to expand to 78 more foreign territories on November 8, according to IMAX. 

Megan Colligan, president of IMAX, shared with Variety, “We saw an opportunity to create a cultural moment with a visionary artist in a way that expands the IMAX brand, while surprising audiences and experimenting with what we can bring to our platform beyond blockbusters.” With Kanye and IMAX teaming up to bring the film to screens, Colligan says “Jesus is King” opens the door for IMAX Entertainment to discover different ways of delivering exclusive events. 

Bringing audiences into the world of West’s Sunday Service, the film includes a performance of 13 songs by a 50-member gospel choir. Music featured in the film include three new tracks from the star and a roster of major Kanye hits. 

When discussing the core of the film, “Jesus is King” director Nick Knight said, “He certainly didn’t want to be Kanye West, the star of this film.” Knight continues, “It was a lack of ego and modest humility that was paramount to him in this film.” Knight makes it clear that the film is indeed about worship and not Kanye.

Feature Image via HYPEBEAST