Zachary Levi sees no coincidence in the making of “The Unbreakable Boy.” For him, its very existence — and its delayed release — were guided by divine timing.
“The film coming to be was God,” the 44-year-old “Shazam” actor told The Christian Post. “Everything in our life, every second of every day, I don’t think any of it is a coincidence, but this movie wasn’t originally slated to even happen the way that it did. […] I believe in God’s perfect timing, and I believe that this is the perfect time for it to be here.”
The film, directed by Jon Gunn (“Jesus Revolution”) and produced by Kevin Downes, Jon Erwin, Jerilyn Esquibel, Peter Facinelli and Andrew Erwin, is based on Scott LeRette and Susy Flory’s book The Unbreakable Boy: A Father’s Fear, a Son’s Courage, and a Story of Unconditional Love.
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Filmed in Oklahoma, it tells the true story of Austin LeRette, a boy with autism and brittle bone disease whose joyful spirit transforms those around him. Starring Levi as Scott LeRette, Meghann Fahy as Teresa, Jacob Laval as Austin, and featuring performances from Drew Powell and Patricia Heaton, the film explores resilience, faith and the unbreakable bond between a father and son.
Levi was originally slated to star in “American Underdog,” another Kingdom Story Company production, when the COVID-19 pandemic upended filming schedules. In response, producers pivoted.
“Lionsgate said, ‘Hey, listen, if Zach agrees to do a film that’s a more contained, smaller budget film that we can roll the dice on, then we’re willing to take that risk,'” Levi recalled.
Presented with several options, the “Tangled” star, who is expecting his first child, said he immediately connected with “The Unbreakable Boy.”
“I read all of them, and I said, ‘The Unbreakable Boy.’ That one,’” he recalled.
“It was a true story. It’s beautiful. It’s got all of the highs and lows of what it means to be a human being … and what it means to have the struggles that we go through. On top of all of that, navigating the waters of having a child with autism, and at this point in human history, autism is very ubiquitous. Everyone is touched by it in one way or another. I felt like that was a film and a story that was deserving to be told … even just it coming into reality was really a God-breathed thing.”
The film, rated PG for strong thematic material, alcohol abuse, language and some violence, is a deeply personal project for its cast.
Jacob Laval, who plays Austin, said stepping into the role was transformative. “I learned to never give up and never stop believing,” the 17-year-old actor said. “It was difficult waiting so long for the movie to come out, but I think waiting and having Austin’s mentality — ‘eventually it’ll come out, and it will be amazing’ — really helped me get through it.”
In LeRette’s book, released in 2014, he shares how his son, Austin, taught him, and everyone else he encountered, to have faith in God and trust that one day life’s messes would all make sense.
Seeing his story on the big screen, LeRette told CP, was surreal and “miraculous.”
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing. It’s kind of like a moonshot,” he shared. “I think faith is an underlying element, a thread of the entire film. Jon Gunn did an incredible job of not hitting everybody over the head with my faith, but it’s just present, woven into the entire film. And I’m real happy with that.”
“Twilight” star Peter Facinelli, who plays Pastor Rick, said the film speaks to the power of community and highlights how pastors are human and fallible, making him relatable to those facing personal challenges.
“For me, Pastor Rick signified when someone’s going through something, that they can actually reach out to friends and reach out to a higher source,” he said. “Sometimes you feel alone, and sometimes you reject other people because you’re embarrassed […] but I liked that Rick was human. He wasn’t someone on a pedestal, but someone going through his own struggles too.”
Kingdom Story Company’s Kevin Downes, one of the film’s producers, said “Unbreakable Boy” was one of the most emotionally powerful films he’s worked on.
“I showed it to a big group the other day. The last 30 minutes, I was a mess. I needed, literally, a box of Kleenex,” he said. “John Gunn really crafted a story that’s engaging for audiences as a whole.”
At its core, the film is a testament to faith, resilience and finding joy in hardship — and LeRette said he hopes those facing similar struggles will leave encouraged.
“Embrace that hand that you’re dealt,” he said. “Be the advocate for your child or loved one, because nobody else is going to be their advocate. And humor is a big part of that. Faith and humor — if you don’t have those, you’ll struggle. But if you do, you’ll find joy even in the hardest times.”
Levi, who has described himself as “Christian-adjacent,” previously told CP he believes God has orchestrated the timing of all his projects.
“Almost every job I’ve gotten up to this point is something that found me in some way, which really is God,” he recalled. “We’re trying to figure out what would be the next cool job for me to do. And then all of a sudden, God is like, … ‘Do this one now, because I think this something that’s going to be really good for you.’”
Levi continued: “I wasn’t going to be able to make this movie at all. The pandemic happened; all of a sudden, my schedule freed up. [The Erwins] were like, ‘Yo, now that you’re free, we’ve always envisioned you as maybe being this role. Would you consider doing it?’ I read the script. It was amazing. And then it all happened. And now here we are, and it all feels very fated. It feels like God’s fingerprints were all over it.”
“Unbreakable Boy” hits theaters on Feb. 21.
Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: leah.klett@christianpost.com
