On September 24, the Kendrick Brothers, known for creating films like Overcomer and War Rom, are giving fathers a special treat with the re-release of their 2011 film, Courageous.
Courageous tells the story of, “when tragedy strikes close to home, four police officers struggle with their faith and their roles as husbands and fathers; together they make a decision to change all of their lives.”
The movie was produced by Sherwood Pictures, founded by Alex Kendrick, the associate pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. The media company is very distinct in that it is a part of the ministry of the church and uses volunteers to create films.
Actor Kevin Dowens played Shane Fuller in the movie. In a 2011 interview, he remembered feeling inspired by the consistent intercession that happened on set.
“One of the things that spoke to me during the filming of Courageous was Sherwood Baptist Church and Sherwood Pictures is a church that prays. Every time we would do a scene, we would have people praying for us and there was this one-minded focus on what the mission was all about.”
Robert Amaya played Javier Martinez. He was moved by the strong men who were a part of the filming process.
“Acting in Courageous was absolutely amazing [and] one of the best experiences I’ve ever had in my life,” said Martinez. “I was surrounded by men that follow God [and] are the real deal; the Kendrick Brothers [and] most of the faculty out at Sherwood Baptist, people like Jim McBride, people like Michael Katt, and a lot of other cast members too. These guys are not just leaders in the church, but they’re leaders in their families, their great dads, [and] their great men.”
In the 2021 release, viewers will see new cinematic shots and deleted scenes have been added.
“If you loved the original movie, it’s still there. But now, you’ll see new shots here and there throughout the original movie and then an entirely new ending,” Alex Kendrick said. “The original movie ends with the climactic scene, and then it will literally say ’10 years later’ on the screen, and we’ll fade in on the city 10 years later.”
Courageous will also address law enforcement struggles that America has seen over the last year, but will mostly focus on fatherhood and discipleship.
“We do address some law enforcement issues … where it is applicable to what’s going on in culture,” said Alex. “But we don’t name any groups per se officially, only because…we didn’t do that 10 years ago…I think when you see the film you’ll say, ‘This certainly does relate to what’s going on today, but we don’t name any groups specifically, only because we’re hoping that the impact of this film still has life in it for years to come.”
You can watch the full trailer of Courageous Legacy below and be sure to watch the movie in theatres on September 24.