<Tr> <Th> Budget </Th> <Td> $3 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Box office </Th> <Td> $17.6 million </Td> </Tr> <P> The Case for Christ is a 2017 American Christian drama film directed by Jon Gunn and written by Brian Bird, based on a true story that inspired the 1998 book of the same name by Lee Strobel . The film stars Mike Vogel, Erika Christensen, Faye Dunaway and Robert Forster, and follows an atheist journalist who looks to disprove his wife's Christian faith . The film was released on April 7, 2017 by Pure Flix Entertainment . </P> <P> In 1980, atheist and award - winning investigative journalist Lee Strobel applies his journalistic and legal skills to attempt to disprove his wife Leslie's newfound Christian faith, which creates a rift within his marriage . After completing a thorough investigation for almost two years he finds the historical evidence for Jesus, and then finds a new faith in Christ . </P>

When did the case for christ take place