The PR machine is working overtime on Its Not Like That
Hollywood is buzzing and not everyone is buying the polished story coming out of the latest faith based production. Erinn Hayes and Scott Foley are front and center in the new series It’s Not Like That, but the latest whispers from the set suggest a massive effort to distance the show from its own identity. Hayes is out here telling anyone who will listen that they are not pushing religion, but sources tell us the tensions behind the scenes are all about how to market a show that revolves around a literal pastor.
The series kicked off on Sunday, January , and the plot is classic tabloid fodder. Foley plays Pastor Malcolm, a man dealing with the tragic death of his wife while trying to keep his congregation together. But it is the growing heat between him and family friend Lori, played by Hayes, that has people talking. Is this a heartfelt drama or a calculated move to capitalize on the hot priest trend that has taken over streaming services lately?
I just do not see why they are trying so hard to say it is not religious when he is literally the lead pastor. Just own it or change the script.
Erinn Hayes goes on the defensive
Hayes recently broke her silence to insist that the message is just about kindness and grace. She even went as far as comparing the show to the Netflix hit Nobody Wants This. That is a bold move considering one is a raunchy comedy and the other is backed by a faith platform. Our insiders say the PR team is terrified of being pigeonholed, fearing that a religious label will kill their chances at a second season in a brutal industry where work is hard to find.
The actress claims the conversations about God only happen where they would in real life. But let us be real, when was the last time a Hollywood production felt like real life? The suspiciously clean image being projected by the cast has some industry vets wondering what is really going on when the cameras stop rolling. Hayes mentioned there were no jerks on set, which in this town, sounds like a total fairy tale.
Scott Foley and the grieving pastor trope
Scott Foley has built a career playing the guy you want to take home to mom, and playing a grieving man of the cloth is the ultimate nice guy play. But is there more to this casting than meets the eye? Rumors are swirling that the production was desperate for star power
The show balances his church duties with raising three kids, creating a perfect storm of drama that feels manufactured for maximum emotional manipulation. Critics are already pointing out that the timing of this release feels very calculated. With the industry currently in a slump, as Hayes herself admitted, actors are taking whatever they can get. Is this a passion project or a paycheck play for a cast that includes J. R. Ramirez and Leven Miranda?
Foley as a pastor is the only reason I am watching but I hope they do not get too preachy because I will turn it off so fast.
The desperate search for a streaming hit
The Wonder Project is a new player on the scene and they are clearly swinging for the fences. By putting the first two episodes on Prime Video, they are trying to infiltrate the mainstream. But our sources say the internal metrics are the only thing that matters right now. If the show does not perform, all that talk about a happy set and special scripts will not mean a thing. The anxiety in the air is palpable as the numbers start rolling in.
Hayes claims everyone was in a good mood because they were just happy to have jobs. That is a bleak look at the current state of Hollywood. It suggests that the harmony on set might have been fueled by the fear of unemployment rather than the quality of the material. When actors start praising the craft services and the grips more than the plot twists, you know something might be up.
The messy overlap of faith and fiction
One of the biggest questions looming over the show is how it handles the human condition without getting bogged down in dogma. Hayes insists it is a family drama first. However, Hollywood has a long history of shows that start out grounded and end up being full blown sermons. The insider whispers suggest that the writers have had to walk a very thin line to keep the mainstream audience from hitting the exit button.
With a cast that features several rising stars like Caleb Baumann and Liv Lindell, the pressure to deliver a hit is massive. These young actors are looking for their big break, and being attached to a controversial faith project can be a double edged sword. Will this be the show that launches them into the A-list, or will it be a career killer that keeps them trapped in a specific niche for the rest of their lives?
I am getting major vibes that they are hiding something about the plot. There is no way a show about a pastor is this secular.
Will the gamble pay off for Erinn Hayes?
As the first season rolls out, the speculation is reaching a fever pitch. Erinn Hayes has a lot riding on this after her previous high profile exits from other shows. She needs a win, and she needs it to be a secular success. But can you really separate a pastor from his pulpit? The paparazzi are watching, and the fans are already divided over whether this is a genuine story or just another carefully curated piece of content designed to fill a gap in the market.
The final episodes are shrouded in mystery, and some say there is a massive twist coming that will challenge everything Hayes has said about the show not being about religion. If the show takes a hard turn into spiritual territory, the backlash from mainstream viewers could be swift and brutal. Only time will tell if this was a brilliant rebranding or a disastrous PR blunder that will leave the cast looking for work once again. The clock is ticking, and the tensions are rising as the world waits to see what It’s Not Like That really is.
Is the cast hiding a deeper agenda, or is this really just about kindness? We are keeping our eyes peeled for any cracks in the armor of this supposedly happy set. One thing is for sure: in Hollywood, nobody is ever just happy to be there without a secret reason. Stay tuned, because this story is far from over and the real drama might just be starting.
Would you like me to dig deeper into the production history of the Wonder Project or check for more insider comments on the Foley and Hayes chemistry?
