Conceptions and Misconceptions About the Bonhoeffer Movie

An interview with Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Spy, Assassin director Todd Komarnicki

Those involved in making the film Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Spy, Assassin distanced themselves from Eric Metaxas in 2020 due to his support for the “Stop the Steal” movement and the January 6 insurrection. Despite the fact that the film isn’t based on his book, Metaxas’ aggressive promotion of the film has raised questions about his involvement in the movie. Recently, I interviewed film director Todd Komarnicki to find answers.

Was Metaxas ever involved in the movie?

According to Komarnicki, the initiative to create a feature film about Dietrich Bonhoeffer goes back to 2010, the year Metaxas’ biography of Bonhoeffer was published. The lead funding sources, Emmanuel and Camille Kampouris, knew Metaxas, read his book and attempted to commission a screenplay based on that book. Emmanuel and Camille are a married couple not involved in the movie business but became inspired to see a movie made about Bonhoeffer.

After six years, their efforts to get the movie made stalled, and Komarnicki was hired to write a new and original script. Todd’s script was not based on Metaxas book (he’s only read excerpts of it), but rather on Komarnicki’s reading of Bonhoeffer’s own works.

As for Metaxas, he was involved tangentially because of his friendship with the Kampourises. However, after the 2020 election, his association became “unsustainable” according to Komarnicki. He said Metaxas’ embrace of the “Stop the Steal” movement and his support for the January 6 insurrection influenced those working on the film to clearly distance Metaxas from the project.

Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Spy, Assassin was shot beginning in 2022 and completed in October, 2023. According to Komarnicki, Metaxas was never “on set, in an edit room, or anywhere close to the movie being made.”

Metaxas and Angel Studios

Even though the film took a different direction under Komarnicki, Metaxas has been a visible part of the film’s marketing plan as stewarded by Angel Studios. Angel Studios made a deal with the financiers to distribute and promote the film. Once Angel Studios began advertising Bonhoeffer, Metaxas aggressively promoted it on social media. Beginning as early as June 2024, Angel Studios provided Metaxas with a promotional code to use on social media so that referrals he generated could be tracked (angel.com/eric).

I asked director Komarnicki if Metaxas was getting paid for his referrals to Angel Studios’ website. Although he told me that Angel Studios denied it, I am not so sure. For some reason, the code in the address line of Angel’s website tracks Metaxas’ name whenever anyone uses the address angel.com/eric. If he is not getting some payment or compensation, then why does he have his own trackable source code in the promotion of the film? (see below)

(Note the code above which shows the partner campaign with Metaxas in June, 2024. If you click angel.com/eric, this is what you get.)

In addition, Angel Studios called on Metaxas back in October to be the featured speaker at a private screening at the Museum of the Bible. About that screening, Komarnicki told me, “I had nothing to do with that screening and aggressively tried to keep it from happening. Sadly, I did not prevail.”

While Metaxas may not be getting compensation for his marketing efforts, it seems likely that his book sales have benefited from the attention the movie has received. Just today, Emmanuel and Camille Kampouris appeared on Metaxas’ radio show and mentioned his book as the initial inspiration for their interest in making a film. In the end, increasing book sales may help account for his aggressive promotion, even if it has caused confusion for the film.

Not a Christian nationalist movie

Speaking of the film, I don’t see it as a Christian nationalist movie. My wife and I watched it earlier this week; we came out of the theatre more concerned about Donald Trump’s victory than when we went in. However, I will say this: If all I had to go on was Metaxas’ recommendation, I understand all the questions. If Eric Metaxas glows about something, I normally run the other way. However, in this case, one must consider his other possible motivations. This isn’t his movie.

In my view, much of the confusion over the movie is due to Metaxas’ involvement. It isn’t just his support for the Big Lie and related “stop the steal” movement (the belief that the Democrats stole the presidential election in 2020) or his penchant for endorsing biased history. It is his friendly association with white supremacists Katie Hopkins and Ann Coulter. For instance, in response to the Archbishop of Canterbury calling for white Christians to repent of prejudice and become allies for people of color, Hopkins wrote, “Your churches are empty. Your pews undisturbed. White Christians need to stand tall and proud – and walk away from you and everything you represent. Serpent.” Metaxas welcomed Hopkins to his show at least twice and called her a “hero.”

They who have ears to hear, let them hear.

In any case, now you know the rest of the story. It is a tragedy that Metaxas has lost his way, but in 2024, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Spy, Assassin should be evaluated on its own merits.

UPDATE: 12/6/24 - A commenter asked why the credits, near the end, said this: “with special thanks to Eric Metaxas.” In one of my talks with Todd Komarnicki I asked that and he said that the thanks was at the request of Emmanuel and Camille Kampouris “because they knew Eric and loved his book.” The thanks is there “for inspiring them to launch their journey.” He added, “They first encountered Bonhoeffer via Eric, but six years later when I came on board, I took it a very different way.” For perspective, there are other acknowledgements at the end. Komarnicki said, “His name is one in a list.”