Building A Legacy Of Faith On Film
Last year marked the 15th anniversary of the release of Flywheel, the Kendrick Brothers’ first feature film. Produced with a shockingly modest budget of only $20,000 and intended for Albany, Georgia residents where the brothers served on staff at Sherwood Baptist Church, Flywheel went on to sell over a million copies in DVD format.
“We’re just amazed at what the Lord’s done with it,” says Alex Kendrick.
In the years since that debut, the filmmakers’ body of work has grown to include hits Facing The Giants, Fireproof, Courageous, and War Room—all of which made an impact at the box office. With more than $150 million in box office receipts across five films, plus millions more in DVD and on-demand sales worldwide, the Kendrick Brothers are recognized as leaders in faith-based films.
“When the Kendrick Brothers start a new film, a lot of people around the world take notice,” notes Rich Peluso, Executive Vice President of Affirm Films. “We’re really excited about Overcomer. I think we’re going to see the biggest, widest impact of a Kendrick Brothers’ story that we’ve ever seen.”
Despite their successes, the Kendrick Brothers did not deviate from their tried-and-true formula for Overcomer. First, they pray for a topic. Then, they seek confirmation. During the process, Stephen Kendrick pores over Scripture developing content that can be used for the film along with ancillary items such as books and curriculum.
They called upon Christian novelist Chris Fabry to write the novelization of the movie’s captivating story based upon biblical themes from the book of Ephesians. Known for his rich character development and trademark lyrical prose, Fabry translated the Kendricks’ new movie into an inspirational novel of three characters’ journeys as each find and refine their true identity in Christ.
In fact, director Alex Kendrick specifically requested Fabry’s involvement. “We have great admiration for Chris Fabry’s work and ministry heart. He was an absolute joy to work with on the novelization of War Room and was able to read the Overcomer script early and join us on set this summer to hear the message and heart behind this new film.”
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