The Story of Everything
| The Story of Everything | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Eric Esau |
| Produced by |
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| Written by | Stephen C. Meyer |
| Based on | Return of the God Hypothesis by Stephen C. Meyer |
| Starring |
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Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Fathom Entertainment |
Release date |
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Running time | 97 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1.64 million[2] |
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The Story of Everything is a 2026 American documentary film directed by Eric Esau and written by Stephen C. Meyer, based on Meyer's 2021 book Return of the God Hypothesis.[3] Backed by the Discovery Institute, the film argues that discoveries in cosmology, physics, and molecular biology — including Big Bang cosmology, the fine-tuned universe argument, and the informational complexity of DNA — point to an intelligent cause behind the universe.[1] It features interviews with two dozen scientists, philosophers, and engineers associated with the intelligent design movement, including Michael Behe, James Tour, Douglas Axe, William Dembski, and John Lennox, along with entrepreneur Peter Thiel.[4]
The film was distributed by Fathom Entertainment in a limited theatrical run from April 30 to May 6, 2026, opening in 513 theaters and grossing less than $2 million domestically.[1][2] Faith-based and conservative outlets praised the film's production values, while its central thesis is a form of intelligent design, which the National Academy of Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science classify as pseudoscience.[5][6]
Synopsis
The film is built around the work of Stephen C. Meyer and is organized into four chapters: the beginning of the universe, the fine-tuning of physical constants, the complexity of living systems, and the presence of beauty in nature.[7] Rather than relying on a single narrator, it lets the interviewed scientists and philosophers carry the argument in their own words, contending that each line of evidence is best explained by inference to an intelligent cause rather than by undirected natural processes.[8][1]
Production
The film was produced over roughly four and a half years by Sypher Studios — whose previous credits include the 2023 faith documentary After Death — with Brian Bird (When Calls the Heart) and Jason Pamer among the producers.[1][8] Author and apologist Lee Strobel joined the project as an executive producer.[1] The Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture, which Meyer directs, served as a backing organization for the production.[1]
Release
The Story of Everything was released in U.S. theaters by Fathom Entertainment on April 30, 2026, as part of a limited theatrical engagement that ran through May 6, 2026.[1] The opening weekend grossed $893,417 across 513 theaters, and the film's total domestic gross stood at approximately $1.64 million as of mid-May 2026.[2]
Reception
Faith-based and conservative response
The film received favorable coverage in faith-based and conservative outlets. Writing in The Wall Street Journal, Peter Robinson of the Hoover Institution praised the film's argument from the complexity of the cell.[9] Baptist Press described it as a documentary aimed at helping young religious viewers respond to materialist worldviews encountered in higher education.[3] Reviewers for Movieguide and Creation Ministries International praised the cinematography and the production's high budget, though Creation Ministries International noted its disagreement with the film's acceptance of Big Bang cosmology.[10][7] Writing for Answers in Genesis, a young-earth creationist ministry, a reviewer welcomed the film's depiction of design but criticized it for leaving questions about the age of the universe unresolved.[11]
Scientific and mainstream response
The film's central arguments restate long-standing intelligent design claims that the mainstream scientific community classifies as pseudoscience. The American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Academy of Sciences, and the National Science Teaching Association have issued statements concluding that intelligent design is not science,[5][6][12] and in Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District (2005) a federal court ruled that intelligent design is a religious rather than scientific proposition.[13]
The fine-tuning and irreducible complexity arguments featured in the film have long been contested. Cosmologists have advanced multiverse and anthropic explanations for apparent fine-tuning,[14] and biologists including Kenneth R. Miller have published detailed rebuttals to irreducible-complexity arguments of the kind advanced by Michael Behe, describing mapped evolutionary pathways for systems such as the bacterial flagellum and the blood-clotting cascade.[15]
See also
- Intelligent design movement
- Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed
- Discovery Institute
- Fine-tuned universe
- Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 "The Story of Everything Presents Groundbreaking Evidence That Has Reignited the Debate Over Science, Origins, and the Existence of God in Theatres Nationwide from Fathom Entertainment April 30–May 6" (Press release). Fathom Entertainment. March 4, 2026. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "The Story of Everything". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Erlanson, Laura (April 27, 2026). "Inherent design tells 'The Story of Everything' in new documentary". Baptist Press. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ↑ "The Story of Everything (2026)". Moviefone. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "AAAS Board Resolution on Intelligent Design Theory" (Press release). American Association for the Advancement of Science. October 18, 2002.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 National Academy of Sciences; Institute of Medicine (2008). Science, Evolution, and Creationism. National Academies Press. Search this book on
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Falkenberry, Sheridan (May 2026). "Film Review: The Story of Everything". Creation Ministries International. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Stone, Jon (May 2026). "The Story of Everything Explores Life's Origins Via Intelligent Design". Innovation & Tech Today. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ↑ Robinson, Peter (April 16, 2026). "God, Creation and 'The Story of Everything'". Houses of Worship. The Wall Street Journal.
- ↑ "The Story of Everything". Movieguide. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ↑ "Does The Story of Everything Really Cover Everything?". Answers in Genesis. May 1, 2026. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ↑ NSTA Position Statement: The Teaching of Evolution (Report). National Science Teaching Association.
- ↑ Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District, 400 F. Supp. 2d 707 (M.D. Pa. 2005).
- ↑ Hawking, Stephen; Mlodinow, Leonard (2010). The Grand Design. Bantam Books. Search this book on
- ↑ Miller, Kenneth R. (2008). Only a Theory: Evolution and the Battle for America's Soul. Viking. Search this book on
External links
- Official website
- The Story of Everything on IMDb Search this movie on
- The Story of Everything at Rotten Tomatoes
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