The Erwin Brothers, the producers behind the faith-based box office success Jesus Revolution, have announced their next movie will be based on another true story, and this one will star two-time Academy Award winner Hilary Swank.
Jon and Andrew Erwin’s new project is titled Ordinary Angels and is scheduled to be released in theaters on Oct. 13, according to Deadline.
Alan Ritchson who starred as Jack Reacher in Reacher, currently streaming on Amazon Prime, also stars.
Described as a remarkable true story, Ordinary Angels centers on Sharon Stevens (Swank), a fierce but struggling hairdresser in small-town Kentucky who discovers a renewed sense of purpose when she meets Ed Schmitt (Ritchson), a widower working hard to make ends meet for his two daughters. With Ed’s youngest daughter waiting for a liver transplant, Sharon sets her mind to helping the family and will move mountains to do it, Deadline reports.
The Louisville Courier-Journal reports the story took place in 1994 during a record-breaking snowstorm. Stevens had “raised tens of thousands of dollars for the family’s growing medical expenses and arranged for a private jet to fly the family from Louisville to Omaha when the time came.”
“I was drawn to this beautiful true story because it’s such a powerful reminder that angels reside everywhere among us. And that faith, hope, grit, and positivity are all powerful fuel for miracles,” Swank told The Washington Examiner in a statement.
“It’s also a story about the power of organ donation — something incredibly near and dear to my heart,” Swank added. “I couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of this story and message.”
Ordinary Angels will premiere up against the continuation of the horror film The Exorcist, according to Deadline.
The movie also stars Nancy Travis and Tamala Jones. It was written by Meg Tilly and Kelly Fremon Craig and directed by Jon Gunn (The Unbreakable Boy).
The response to the Erwin’s Jesus Revolution has astounded the entertainment industry after taking third place at the box office on its opening weekend in February. According to Box Office Mojo, the film has brought in more than $46 million since its release on Feb. 24.
Director Jon Erwin told CBN’s Faithwire that he, too, felt something different while making “Jesus Revolution” and that he has seen God at work through the film as he’s heard incredible stories of radical life change and conversion.
It started when they were making the film. “We felt it on set when we were doing the baptisms,” he said. “I’ve never felt that kind of spiritual power on a day of filming ever in my life, and I think it bleeds through the screen. I think you feel it in the movie.”
Filmmakers often say that getting a movie made is a miracle. Producer Kevin Downes would agree. He also saw miracles while working on this project.
Downes said, “There’s moments of miracles whenever you make a film. Obviously, the entire process. But this one had miracle after miracle, where we really felt and sensed God’s presence throughout the entire process.”
The miracles include how veteran actor Kelsey Grammer signed on for the lead role of Calvary Chapel Pastor Chuck Smith.
In an interview with CBS News, Grammer said, “I was having a late night and I was thinking I want to do something that has some value, beyond just another role, something that I enjoy playing. And the very next morning, this script was delivered to my house.”
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