'Duck Dynasty' Stars Launch Faith-Based Media Platform That Will Rival Liberal Hollywood
Willie and Korie Robertson, stars of the hit TV show “Duck Dynasty,” have partnered with entrepreneur Michael Scott to launch EKKL Entertainment, a faith-based media group dedicated to telling stories of salvation, redemption, and family.
The importance of such a venture cannot be overstated. Hollywood has turned its back on conservatives, especially people of faith. They never miss a chance to caricature Christianity or mercilessly mock traditional values.
It appears the American people are rejecting this agenda in favor of alternative content from ventures like Angel Studios and EKKL Entertainment.
EKKL was named for the Greek word ekklesia, meaning “an assembly of the faithful.” The company markets itself as a “trusted home for entertainment, inspiration, and connection,” providing podcasts, movies, daily devotionals, scripture, and other “authentic voices” to lift the spirit.
In an interview with The Western Journal, the Robertsons discussed their role as executive producers for the upcoming film “Elijah Peel,” which is due out in theaters Aug. 14.
“People are hungry for [depth],” Korie proclaimed. “They’re looking for stories that have meaning, that offer hope, that are uplifting to culture, rather than degrading to culture. We do live in a hard time right now.”
“So how do we — through entertainment — offer people hope, and offer people positive family values, and things that are important to our family?” she asked. “We’re very excited to do that through EKKL.”
The film is based on writer/director Kevin Sepe’s struggle with addiction before he found God. The fictional take follows a rock star who is suddenly hit with serious health problems before meeting a young, sick child who inspires him to be better.
“[Kevin’s] actually quite the character. So, Elijah Peel really does reflect his life and his story of this rock star, like bigger-than-life kind of persona,” Korie said. “You can have all the fame, you can have all the success, you could have all the money, all those things, but still, life can hit you, and you can end up flat on your back.”
When asked why they chose this particular film, Willie replied, “This was the kind of story that I think we’re looking for. One, it’s well done. It’s well made; the story’s great … Sometimes you have movies that look great, but the story’s kind of not good. So this one kind of had all those elements, where you have a great story.
“And then when it’s put together, it looks good, it looks professionally good,” he continued. “I think sometimes faith-based shows in the past — let’s face it –they’re a little cheesy.”
Willie rightfully pointed out how faith-based media tends to fall short when it comes to characters, subtlety, and contradiction. There are exceptions, however, like Mel Gibson, who made “The Passion of the Christ” and “Hacksaw Ridge.”
But most times, budget constraints prevent these movies from having quality scripts, music, set designs, and other key pieces that captivate audiences. Willie said “Elijah Peel” is different because of its “gritty” tone and down-to-earth themes.
“It’s kind of a new take on a guy that chases after the world,” he explained. “I think a lot of us find ourselves where we’ve been like that. Maybe not to his extent, then he’s boom, he’s flat on his back, he’s got health issues, and he has to start thinking about his whole life. And what does this all mean? And God provides this girl who’s having her own challenges as well, and boom, there’s a beautiful story. So those are the kind of stories that we look for, and what we want to associate with and put out there.”
Willie and Korie Robertson join WJ’s Nick Givas to talk about their new faith-based media platform, EKKL Entertainment, and their upcoming theatrical release, “Elijah Peel” — inspired by a true story of fame, addiction, and redemption. In theaters August 14th.
Click here for… pic.twitter.com/b2AlXa1gdk
— The Western Journal (@WesternJournalX) July 9, 2026
The best-selling author then mentioned his late father, Phil, who was a central character of “Duck Dynasty” who died last year. He and Korie produced a movie about Phil’s life with Angel Studios called “The Blind.”
:
“There’s just a powerful story about hope and redemption, and I think we all find ourselves in life, in these stories, and it’s like, what’s next? What’s the hope? How do we get out of this? And I think storytelling can help do that.”
As Anthony Hopkins in HBO’s “Westworld” said: “I always loved a good story. I believed that stories helped us to ennoble ourselves, to fix what was broken in us, and to help us become the people we dreamed of being.”
When asked what his favorite movie is, he replied, “The Shawshank Redemption,” before quoting the film’s classic line, “Get busy living, or get busy dying.”
It’s a relief to see that conservatives, Christians, patriots, and ordinary people can finally enjoy meaningful content that speaks to their souls again, without political correctness and radical liberal messaging ruining the fun for everyone.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
