Zachary Levi says timing of 'The Unbreakable Boy' was 'God-breathed': 'The perfect time'

Zachary Levi sees no coincidence within the making of “The Unbreakable Boy.” For him, its very existence — and its delayed launch — have been guided by divine timing.

“The movie coming to be was God,” the 44-year-old “Shazam” actor instructed The Christian Put up. “Every part in our life, each second of each day, I don’t assume any of it’s a coincidence, however this film wasn’t initially slated to even occur the best way that it did. […] I consider in God’s excellent timing, and I consider that that is the proper time for it to be right here.”

The movie, directed by Jon Gunn (“Jesus Revolution”) and produced by Kevin Downes, Jon Erwin, Jerilyn Esquibel, Peter Facinelli and Andrew Erwin, relies on Scott LeRette and Susy Flory’s e-book The Unbreakable Boy: A Father’s Worry, a Son’s Braveness, and a Story of Unconditional Love. 

Filmed in Oklahoma, it tells the true story of Austin LeRette, a boy with autism and brittle bone illness whose joyful spirit transforms these round him. Starring Levi as Scott LeRette, Meghann Fahy as Teresa, Jacob Laval as Austin, and that includes performances from Drew Powell and Patricia Heaton, the movie explores resilience, religion and the unbreakable bond between a father and son.

Levi was initially slated to star in “American Underdog,” one other Kingdom Story Firm manufacturing, when the COVID-19 pandemic upended filming schedules. In response, producers pivoted.

“Lionsgate stated, ‘Hey, hear, if Zach agrees to do a movie that’s a extra contained, smaller funds movie that we will roll the cube on, then we’re prepared to take that danger,'” Levi recalled.

Offered with a number of choices, the “Tangled” star, who’s anticipating his first baby, stated he instantly linked with “The Unbreakable Boy.”

“I learn all of them, and I stated, ‘The Unbreakable Boy.’ That one,’” he recalled. 

“It was a real story. It’s lovely. It’s received the entire highs and lows of what it means to be a human being … and what it means to have the struggles that we undergo. On high of all of that, navigating the waters of getting a baby with autism, and at this level in human historical past, autism could be very ubiquitous. Everyone seems to be touched by it in a technique or one other. I felt like that was a movie and a narrative that was deserving to be instructed … even simply it coming into actuality was actually a God-breathed factor.”

The movie, rated PG for robust thematic materials, alcohol abuse, language and a few violence, is a deeply private mission for its solid. 

Jacob Laval, who performs Austin, stated getting into the function was transformative. “I discovered to by no means hand over and by no means cease believing,”  the 17-year-old actor stated. “It was troublesome ready so lengthy for the film to return out, however I feel ready and having Austin’s mentality — ‘finally it’ll come out, and will probably be superb’ — actually helped me get by way of it.”

In LeRette’s e-book, launched in 2014, he shares how his son, Austin, taught him, and everybody else he encountered, to place confidence in God and belief that in the future life’s messes would all make sense. 

Seeing his story on the massive display screen, LeRette instructed CP, was surreal and “miraculous.” 

“It is a once-in-a-lifetime factor. It is type of like a moonshot,” he shared. “I feel religion is an underlying component, a thread of your entire movie. Jon Gunn did an unimaginable job of not hitting everyone over the pinnacle with my religion, however it’s simply current, woven into your entire movie. And I’m actual pleased with that.”

“Twilight” star Peter Facinelli, who performs Pastor Rick, stated the movie speaks to the ability of neighborhood and highlights how pastors are human and fallible, making him relatable to these dealing with private challenges. 

“For me, Pastor Rick signified when somebody’s going by way of one thing, that they will truly attain out to associates and attain out to the next supply,” he stated. “Generally you’re feeling alone, and typically you reject different individuals since you’re embarrassed […] however I favored that Rick was human. He wasn’t somebody on a pedestal, however somebody going by way of his personal struggles too.”

Kingdom Story Firm’s Kevin Downes, one of many movie’s producers, stated “Unbreakable Boy” was some of the emotionally highly effective movies he’s labored on.

“I confirmed it to a giant group the opposite day. The final half-hour, I used to be a large number. I wanted, actually, a field of Kleenex,” he stated. “John Gunn actually crafted a narrative that’s participating for audiences as an entire.”

At its core, the movie is a testomony to religion, resilience and discovering pleasure in hardship — and LeRette stated he hopes these dealing with comparable struggles will depart inspired.

“Embrace that hand that you simply’re dealt,” he stated. “Be the advocate on your baby or cherished one, as a result of no person else goes to be their advocate. And humor is a giant a part of that. Religion and humor — when you don’t have these, you’ll wrestle. However when you do, you’ll discover pleasure even within the hardest occasions.”

Levi, who has described himself as “Christian-adjacent,” beforehand instructed CP he believes God has orchestrated the timing of all his tasks.

“Virtually each job I’ve gotten up so far is one thing that discovered me in a roundabout way, which actually is God,” he recalled. “We’re making an attempt to determine what could be the following cool job for me to do. After which abruptly, God is like, … ‘Do that one now, as a result of I feel this one thing that’s going to be actually good for you.’”

Levi continued: “I wasn’t going to have the ability to make this film in any respect. The pandemic occurred; abruptly, my schedule freed up. [The Erwins] have been like, ‘Yo, now that you simply’re free, we’ve at all times envisioned you as perhaps being this function. Would you take into account doing it?’ I learn the script. It was superb. After which all of it occurred. And now right here we’re, and all of it feels very fated. It appears like God’s fingerprints have been throughout it.”

“Unbreakable Boy” hits theaters on Feb. 21.