Moviegoers interested in films about faith will have a number to choose from this year, thanks to new partnerships between Hollywood studios and religion publishers. Find out when book-to-film adaptations of The Secret, The Impossible, and more will arrive in theaters below.
Breakthrough (Apr. 17)
Adapted from Joyce Smith’s memoir The Impossible (FaithWords, 2017), this film depicts a life-after-death account involving her 14-year-old son John and an accident on Missouri's Lake Sainte Louise. The film will star Topher Grace, Chrissy Metz, and Josh Lucas.
Palau (Summer 2019)
Zondervan is publishing Palau: A Life on Fire in June to coincide with a biopic on Luis Palau, an Argentinian evangelist who began a global ministry after meeting Billy Graham. Both the book and the film delve into Palau’s experiences with childhood poverty, a love for the gospel, and his current battle with lung cancer.
The Other Side of Heaven 2: Fire of Faith (June 7)
This sequel to 2001’s Other Side of Heaven, which starred Anne Hathaway and was based on John H. Groberg’s memoir In the Eye of the Storm, features Groberg’s return to missionary work in Tonga with his wife and children during the 1960s. The film will depict a test of faith brought on when Groberg’s sixth child is born with a serious illness.
Overcomer (Aug. 23)
From the creators of 2015’s blockbuster War Room, Overcomer explores issues surrounding spiritual identity after a high school basketball coach's life is upended overnight. The film will star Fervent author Priscilla Shirer, and Tyndale is releasing its novelization written by Chris Fabry in July.
The Secret (Sept. 9)
Rhonda Byrne’s bestselling self-help book on positive thought, known as the “law of attraction,” is being adapted into a film starring Katie Holmes. It follows a grieving widow (Holmes) whose perspective of life changes after a chance encounter with a unique teacher.
The Case for Miracles (no release date yet)
Based on Lee Strobel’s 2018 book from Zondervan, this film investigates miraculous healing and other supernatural events related to divine intervention. Brian Bird is attached as scriptwriter, and the film is currently in active development at PureFlix.
As a bonus to the book-to-film adaptations of 2019, The Progeny by Tosca Lee (Howard, 2016) is being dramatized for television via Edward Burns’ Marlboro Road Gang Productions and Radar Pictures. The series will center on Audra, a descendant of Elizabeth Báthory, a notorious 16th century serial killer. Howard also has a silver screen adaptation of Karen Kingsbury’s Baxter Family series in the works.
