Should Hollywood Embrace Religion? Young Audiences Crave Complex Spiritual Characters and Plotlines That Challenge Faith, New Study Shows

Sep 2, 2026 3:42pm PT Should Hollywood Embrace Religion? Young Audiences Crave Complex Spiritual Characters and Plotlines That Challenge Faith, New Study Shows

By William Earl

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William Earl

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Could Hollywood entice younger audiences by having a little faith?

A surprising new Future of Faith study from The Center for Scholars & Storytellers (CSS) at UCLA suggests that both Gen Z and Gen Alpha crave realistic and complex depictions of religion and spirituality in their entertainment that go beyond stereotypes. The group surveyed over 2,000 people, ages 14-24, and a majority cited a sensitivity to how their beliefs were portrayed on-screen.

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