Lionsgate and Kingdom Story Company are preparing to enter production on a sequel to “I Can Only Imagine,” the 2018 breakout hit faith-based film that led to the launch of Kingdom the following year.
“This is Us” star Milo Ventimiglia will join the cast as singer-songwriter Tim Timmons. John Michael Finley will return to play Bart Millard, founder of the Christian band MercyMe, alongside Dennis Quaid and Trace Adkins.
Andrew Erwin, who directed “I Can Only Imagine” with his brother, Jon, returns to direct the sequel with screenwriter Brent McCorkle. Erwin will also produce with Millard, Kevin Downes, Cindy Bond, Daryl Lefever, and Joshua Walsh.
Adam Fogelson, chair, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, said, “We’re excited to be partnering once again with Kingdom on this continuation of Bart’s incredible story and are confident its winning combination of emotional truth and pure heart will connect with audiences everywhere.”
“I Can Only Imagine” retells the story of Millard’s life and career with MercyMe, culminating in the writing of the titular song which still stands as the most successful Christian music single of all time.
The film, produced on a $7 million budget, grossed $83 million at the box office and established Jon and Andrew Erwin as one of the top faith-based filmmakers. With the profits from the film, they established Kingdom Story Company with a first-look distribution deal with Lionsgate.
While Lionsgate has faced a poor year at the box office, their partnership with Kingdom has remained a bright spot as their latest release, “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” has been a theatrical success with $37.2 million grossed and counting against a budget reported to be less than $10 million. The sequel to “I Can Only Imagine” will be released by Lionsgate under a renewed first-look deal made last month.
“I Can Only Imagine captured the hearts of audiences when it was released, and continues to provide hope and encouragement to millions around the globe,” said Downes. “The success of that film led to the founding of Kingdom Story Company, where our mission is to tell stories that ignite a ‘rush of hope,’ and so we are thrilled that we get to return to this world and explore the rest of Bart’s incredible journey in our company’s first sequel.”
Ventimiglia is represented by WME, Entertainment 360, and McKuin Frankel Whitehead.
