The power of prayer was the central focus of the Kendrick Brothers’ hit 2015 faith-based movie, “War Room,” but their latest production tackles a societal issue.
“The Forge,” due to be released exclusively in theatres in August, is about the process of creating followers of Jesus Christ.
“The concept here of discipleship and mentorship is what I think sets this movie apart from some of the others,” Affirm Films Executive Vice President Rich Peluso told The Epoch Times.
Affirm has released a total of six Kendrick Brothers films. The first was “Facing the Giants” in 2006, followed by “Fireproof,” “Courageous,” “Overcomer,” “War Room,” and “Show Me The Father.”
“Churches are often about evangelizing, but there’s not a lot of work about making disciples, and when you think about the Great Commission, it’s to go out and make disciples of all the world,” Mr. Peluso said.
Affirm Films is a division of SONY Pictures Entertainment (SPE) specializing in the development of faith-based and inspirational productions.
Mr. Peluso helped found the division 17 years ago after pitching the concept of a faith-based film label to SPE. Previously, he was president of EMI Christian Music Group for 15 years.
“SPE brought me on board to help start Affirm,” he said. “I’ve been a believer my adult life. I grew up in church. I wear two hats. My SONY hat is about doing a great job for my company, but I also wear a missional hat. I’m motivated by a personal desire to see lives changed through great storytelling.”
The Kendrick Brothers trio is made up of Alex, Stephen, and Shannon.
Alex directed and co-wrote “The Forge” screenplay with Stephen, who is a producer, while Shannon is director of operations at their headquarters in Albany, Georgia.
“What Alex and Steven do so well is spend a lot of time in prayer and reflection about what they feel God is talking to them about in terms of what the big picture needs are within the church and the culture,” Mr. Peluso said.
The brothers declined an interview at this time, but their website states they are believers and exist to honor Jesus Christ.
As a result, they pray a lot on set, according to Cameron Arnett, who stars in “The Forge” as Joshua and was also an actor in “Overcomer” in 2019.
“There was prayer for every scene,” Mr. Arnett told The Epoch Times. “Pray before and after, pray at night…pray during. With the Kendrick Brothers, everything is done by prayer. They have really influenced my sets after having worked with them.”
As Joshua, Mr. Arnett molds an at-risk youth named Isaiah (Aspen Kennedy) into a man because he has no other positive male role model in his life.
Cameron Arnett at the premiere of "Overcomer" at AMC North Park 15 in Dallas, Texas, on Aug. 13, 2019. Cooper Neill/Getty Images
It’s an increasingly common life experience. One in four children nationwide, or 18.3 million, live in a fatherless home, according to the 2022 U.S. Census Bureau.
“There’s a huge TikTok trend around the concept of what is wrong with this generation of young men,” Mr. Peluso said. “It’s a big issue and ‘The Forge’ speaks right into the middle of that.”
In a first look clip of the movie posted on YouTube, Joshua mentors Isaiah whose mother feels she’s useless in teaching him about manhood.
“Joshua has lost a son, and he sees this opportunity to pour himself into this Isaiah character,” Mr. Peluso added. “He teaches him how to be a believer and how to be someone who’s loving and a strong man.”
“The Forge” will likely be available on a streaming platform in 2025 after its broad nationwide release in all the major chains of theatres, including AMC and Regal Theatres, as well as in more than 25 international territories.
Faith-inspired and faith-based content across streaming, broadcast, theatrical and home entertainment channels is increasing year after year, according to Mr. Peluso.
“Last year was a huge year for faith-based films, and it was bigger than the year before,” he said. “There is a chance that it could be a bigger year this year than 2023, which included ‘Sound of Freedom’. Some people categorize ‘Sound of Freedom’ as faith-based or faith-adjacent.”
“Sound of Freedom,” about a former government agent who frees children from a trafficking ring, was the No. 1 movie on July 4, 2023, and generated nearly $125 million in ticket sales.
