The gears are turning quickly on Lionsgate’s I Can Only Imagine sequel after the announcement that Milo Ventimiglia would star in the long-awaited follow-up to the 2018 hit drama. Four new cast members have been brought in to join him for the Kingdom Story Company production, including current Rescue: HI-Surf star and John Tucker Must Die alum Arielle Kebbel alongside Joshua Bassett (High School Musical: The Musical: The Series), Sophie Skelton (Outlander), and Sammy Dell (Law & Order: SVU). The quartet and Ventimiglia are also accompanied by three returning stars from the original in John Finley, Trace Adkins, and Dennis Quaid. With a reinforced call sheet, cameras are ready to begin rolling on the faith-based sequel in Nashville next month.
I Can Only Imagine 2 is the next chapter in the inspirational story of singer-songwriter Bart Millard (Finley) who rose to fame with his band MercyMe thanks to his breakout hit single the film’s title is taken from. Where the first installment centered on the musician’s relationship with his father (Quaid) that inspired the song, the sequel appears to be expanding both his world and the wider music industry if the castings are any indication. Kebbel will be playing Hilary Timmons, the wife of Millard’s fellow breakout Christian artist Tim Timmons (Ventimiglia). Everyone else has been tapped to play Millard’s family members, with Skelton replacing Madeline Carroll as his now-wife Shannon, Bassett playing his brother-in-law Christopher, and Dell making his theatrical debut as his son, Sam.
While the original film was directed by brothers Jon and Andrew Erwin, only the latter is returning behind the camera for the sequel. However, he’ll have a new partner in I Can Only Imagine‘s co-writer Brent McCorkle, who will also reprise his role as the screenplay writer. Millard joins Erwin as a producer alongside Kevin Downes, Cindy Bond, Bart Millard, Daryl Lefever, and Joshua Walsh. Together, they hope to recreate the magic of the first film after it became a breakout success with $83 million at the box office despite facing major releases like Ready Player One and Black Panther. Erwin is hopeful the new injection of talent will help power the continuation forward, saying in a statement “The first I Can Only Imagine film was such a rare magical moment, and with Brent’s script, this new film will complete Bart’s journey in such a satisfying way. It feels like it was always meant to be.”
Where Have We Seen ‘I Can Only Imagine 2’s New Stars?
The news sets up a mini Gilmore Girls reunion within I Can Only Imagine 2, as Kebbel previously appeared in Seasons 3 and 4 of the series as the wife of Jared Padalecki‘s Dean Forester, while Ventimiglia played Jess Mariano. She’s also known for her past roles in horror flicks The Uninvited and The Grudge 2 as well as shows like Ballers and Midnight Texas. Aside from his four seasons on Disney’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Bassett just released his debut studio LP, “The Golden Years,” last year, while Skelton is gearing up for the eighth and final season of Outlander following the penultimate run’s explosive end this year. Rounding out the additions, the relative newcomer Dell has thus far racked up appearances in Bull and Trevor: The Musical, in addition to a small role in the Law & Order universe.
Production begins on I Can Only Imagine 2 next month. Stay tuned here at Collider for more on the film as work gets underway.
I Can Only Imagine
- Release Date
-
March 16, 2018
- Runtime
-
110 Minutes
- Director
-
Andrew Erwin, Jon Erwin
- Writers
-
Bart Millard, Jon Erwin, Brent McCorkle
Source link
