Golden State Warriors basketball star Steph Curry will serve as executive producer for a new faith-based film, “Breakthrough,” The Hollywood Reporter revealed.
The decision comes after Curry, who is considered by many to be one of the greatest shooters in NBA history, launched his media brand, Unanimous, earlier this year. Unanimous Media has partnered with Sony Pictures Entertainment to produce family-friendly, faith-based content.
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While the star point guard has his hands full with pending projects of his own, after a meeting with “Breakthrough” producer DeVon Franklin and reading the script, he realized the story fit so well with his vision that he had to get involved.
Franklin told The Hollywood Reporter that the movie “checks all his boxes: faith, true story, family and sports.”
Based Joyce Smith’s book, “The Impossible,” “Breakthrough” tells the true, miraculous story of how Smith’s 14-year-old son, John, survived a fatal accident. After falling through a sheet of ice and drowning, John was declared dead. But after an hour, the boy was inexplicably revived, a moment his mother attributes to the power of prayer.
In the film adaptation, “This Is Us” star Chrissy Metz will play Joyce Smith, and Topher Grace (“That 70s Show”) will play a pastor.
John Smith’s story touched Curry in a deeply personal way — from his mother’s unwavering faith, to the young man’s love for basketball.
“John’s story is nothing short of incredible,” Curry told The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s a story about the power of prayer and perseverance and one I immediately connected to. After reading the script, I knew I wanted to be a part of bringing it to life onscreen.”
Curry and his fellow Unanimous Media partners Jeron Smith and Erick Peyton, offered valuable editorial insight that helped shape the film, including notes on the basketball scenes and other key scenes.
“When we first set out in the entertainment business, we had a simple objective: we wanted to tell stories that would move people,” Peyton, Unanimous’ co-founder and CCO, told The Hollywood Reporter in a statement. “It’s been paramount that we work on projects that are meaningful and resonant, and Breakthrough perfectly embodies what Unanimous and Stephen stand for.”
Curry will also use his status as a celebrity athlete to help market the movie to a wider audience.
First project EP in theaters April 2019 ? @DeVonFranklin https://t.co/IxtK6r4F1W
— Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) October 18, 2018
“He will bring attention to this story, which I think is powerful,” Franklin said.
“Breakthrough” is set to hit theaters April 2019.
(H/T: The Hollywood Reporter)