FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media contact: Lauren Hourtovenko
(519) 342-3703 ext. 107
For KING + COUNTRY’s Joel Smallbone Brings Incredible Family Story to the Big Screen
‘Unsung Hero’ releases nationwide from Lionsgate and Kingdom Story Company through Cineplex Pictures on April 26, 2024
TORONTO, Ont., April 2, 2024 – From the studio behind JESUS REVOLUTION, ORDINARY ANGELS, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE, and AMERICAN UNDERDOG comes UNSUNG HERO, the inspiring true story of the Smallbone family journey from down under to centre stage. Beginning April 26, 2024, Canadians can witness for KING + COUNTRY’s Joel Smallbone’s directorial debut as he details his family’s real-life move from Australia to the United States in the 1990s. The film is brought to the big screen by Kingdom Story Company and Lionsgate and is distributed by Cineplex Pictures.
“We’ve been sharing this story from the stage for years, and it continues to resonate with our listeners and audiences,” said Joel Smallbone. “It’s a story about taking leaps of faith and taking risks. It’s about fighting for each other instead of against each other in really dire, desperate moments. Hopefully, it gives viewers one small example of what it looks like to rise above – together.”
“[The story is] so powerful, it needed to be seen in a movie,” said St. James. “Because mom and dad posed it as an adventure, it was that. And they didn’t seem scared, so we weren’t scared.”
Smallbone, who has released five albums with for KING + COUNTRY, serves alongside Richard Ramsey, as co-writer and co-director and lead actor. Luke Smallbone serves as a producer with Justin Tolley and Josh Walsh (JESUS REVOLUTION).
“The power of family is more important now than ever in the history of the world. We need to see those stories about family up on the silver screen,” said Smallbone. “To put this on-screen not only behind the camera as a director but in front of the camera, playing our dad, was a homage to what family is and the opportunity that we all have to engage in family life in different ways.”
UNSUNG HERO also stars Kirrilee Berger, Jonathan Jackson, Lucas Black, and Hillary Scott, with Candace Cameron Bure and Terry O’Quinn.
UNSUNG HERO is directed and written by Richard Ramsey and Joel Smallbone and produced by Luke Smallbone, Justin Tolley, and Josh Walsh.
For more information, visit unsunghero.movie. Click here to view the trailer.
Cast and crew interviews are available – Contact Lauren Hourtovenko at lauren@grafmartin.com or (519) 342-3703 ext. 108.
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About Cineplex Pictures:
Cineplex Pictures, a division of Cineplex, is a distributor of a wide range of genre films. Recent titles include The Boy and the Heron, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, Ordinary Angels, SAW X, EXPEND4BLES, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, John Wick: Chapter 4, Jesus Revolution, Hotel Artemis, and Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
About Lionsgate:
Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B) encompasses world-class motion picture and television studio operations aligned with the STARZ premium global subscription platform to bring a unique and varied portfolio of entertainment to consumers around the world. The Company’s film, television, subscription and location-based entertainment businesses are backed by a 20,000+ title library and a valuable collection of iconic film and television franchises. A digital age company driven by its entrepreneurial culture and commitment to innovation, the Lionsgate brand is synonymous with bold, original, relatable entertainment for audiences worldwide.
About Kingdom Story Company:
Kingdom Story Company, in an exclusive partnership with Lionsgate, creates life-changing content from a variety of talented storytellers. Helmed by Jon Erwin, Andrew Erwin, Kevin Downes, and Tony Young, the Kingdom Story Company brand is synonymous with hope, bringing true and inspiring content to the big screen. As pioneers of inspiring storytelling, their features include I CAN ONLY IMAGINE, AMERICAN UNDERDOG, I STILL BELIEVE, ORDINARY ANGELS and JESUS REVOLUTION.