Sherwood Pictures announces fourth film (OneNewsNow.com)

Sherwood Pictures announces fourth film

Rebecca Grace Davis - Special to OneNewsNow - 11/19/2009 9:45:00 AM

Sherwood Pictures, the moviemaking ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia, announced the title and storyline of its next film in a special worship service Sunday night.

Announcement of Courageous (the movie) From the creators of Flywheel, Facing the Giants and Fireproof comes Courageous, a soul-stirring, heart-challenging film about fatherhood that embraces God's promise to "turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers."

Courageous tells the story of four men who share the same calling: to serve and protect. As law enforcement officers, they face danger every day. Yet when tragedy strikes close to home, these fathers are left wrestling with their hopes, their fears, and their faith. From this struggle comes a decision that changes all their lives.

The decision to create a film with a father-focused theme was made by a four-person team from the church staff: Pastor Michael Catt, Executive Pastor Jim McBride, and brothers Alex Kendrick and Stephen Kendrick. After praying for over a year, the men had clear direction from the Lord that they were to make a film that speaks to the harmful trend of fatherlessness. (See earlier story)

"The statistics on fatherless children are devastating," McBride said. "And because the family is the building block of society, one important place to rebuild families is through fathers who stay and lead and love."

"We believe God is calling men to rise up with strength and with leadership in their homes, with their families and with their children," Stephen Kendrick added.

At the time of the announcement, the Kendrick brothers had about 80 percent of the plot completed, and they plan to have a finished script by the end of the year. Casting is projected to begin in early 2010 with filming to follow in the spring of 2010, leaving the remainder of the year for post-production and scoring. If all goes well according to these tentative plans, Courageous could be released as early as the first part of 2011.

Rebecca Grace Davis is movie critic for the American Family Association, the parent organization of the American Family News Network, which operates OneNewsNow.com.