(CNN) – Former GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum is getting into the movie business.
The staunch conservative, who also served as a senator from Pennsylvania, was named the chief executive of EchoLight Studios, his political action group said Monday. The company is "the first vertically integrated faith-based movie studio to offer production financing, marketing and distribution across all releasing platforms," the release said.
Santorum made a bid for last year's GOP presidential nomination, campaigning as a more conservative alternative to eventual nominee Mitt Romney. He suspended his presidential bid in April, and eventually stumped for Romney during the general election.
But he maintained his focus on family and social issues, saying the party needed to remain committed to those topics in order to distinguish themselves from Democrats. He told CNN in April he'd remain focused on those issues, and urged potential 2016 presidential candidates to do the same.
In his announcement Monday, Santorum said his new role at Dallas-based EchoLight would be consistent with those principles.
"I often say that culture is upstream from politics, and I know entertainment also can be strength and light for people who want to be uplifted and reinforced in their values," he wrote. "Dallas can become the Hollywood of the faith-and-family movie market. And the keys are great content and economic success using money from all over to build out the industry and distribute an authentic product truthful to the faith in people's lives."
EchoLight's first theatrical feature, "The Redemption of Henry Meyers," is slated to debut this fall. A trailer for the western-style film can be seen here.
First the 700 Club and now this.
Torquemada, the Musical?
I can only imagine how nuts the right would go if someone like let's say..... Rep. Keith Ellison had this same kind of business venture. The scrutiny he would get would be outrageous.
Anything for a buck, huh, Rickie?
Glad to see Santorum depart the political scene.
has he ever worked a day in his life .what are they really paying him for.
Jumps into show business? He always was a clown.
This tea party goof and religious Greek will fail like the rest of the GOP rejects that have already been spit on by the voters in 2012,GOP trash!!!!!!
Ricky in show biz?!?! Pathetic... Show biz is the perfect place for this huckster...
"I often say that culture is upstream from politics, ' said Santorum. Thats good, because we known that santorun flows downhill.
It must be a circus to want and need this clown. Can't think of anything that is a straight forward organization or business that would/could use this Three Circus JERK for anything!
I guess it's okay for sanatorium to go Hollywood but god forbid the President does it.
Not that he really does it
Nobody can do it like the Reagan's did!
"Dallas can become the Hollywood of the faith-and-family movie market .....and the assult rifle for toddlers.
I was looking forward to him running for president again. Oh well...I am sure there will be lots of other amusing candidates
"Dallas can become the Hollywood of the faith-and-family movie market"
Um, no. Not unless you pay film crews the wages they've bargained through through their union representation and convince them to move to Dallas.
You'll find, Rick, that many working people prefer access to the ocean, good-looking people to ogle, quality carne asada burritos, and a living wage to working for the Lord.
So Mel Gibson must be writing scripts now.