I CAN ONLY IMAGINE 2 Cast Reveals Movie’s Inspiring Message: You’re ‘Not Alone’

Published: January 21, 2026

By Movieguide® Staff

For MercyMe’s Bart Millard, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE 2 is a reminder for people that “they’re not alone.”

“I thought it was a ‘one and done,’” Millard told Movieguide® of the decision to make a sequel to the hit movie I CAN ONLY IMAGINE. “And then…one of the producers who was the reason the first movie got made…she wanted to do something around the song ‘Even If.’”

In I CAN ONLY IMAGINE 2, Millard (John Michael Finley), “is living the dream — sold-out arenas, a devoted fan base, and a thriving career. But behind the spotlight, Bart’s past threatens the family he’s built, especially the fragile bond with his son, Sam,” per the movie’s website.

The description continues, “When hopeful newcomer Tim Timmons joins the band for their biggest tour yet, he unknowingly brings a renewed gratitude to Bart’s life through their unlikely friendship. Bart soon discovers that Tim carries hardships — and secrets — of his own, forcing him to face his past and repair his relationships with Sam and his wife, Shannon, before fame costs him what matters most.”

“It was such a fun challenge that I really took on with zest,” Finley said of returning to the role of Millard.

He explained that he had been through some major life changes of his own in the years between the first movie and the sequel, which he called “quite fitting” with what his character experiences in I CAN ONLY IMAGINE 2.

He also shouted out co-star Milo Ventimiglia, who plays Timmons, saying he “was such a great new flavor, and so refreshing for all of us.”

Ventimiglia spoke to PEOPLE about what it was like to portray Timmons, saying, “What drew me to the role was this man who had been given a sentence of cancer and had still put a lot of positivity out in the world, although he was battling and dealing with something so daunting and terrifying.”

“These are real people with real lives, and it’s not a movie for them. This is their life,” the THIS IS US actor added. “So for me, the artist, and for Andy Erwin and Brent McCorkle, the writer-directors, what we have to do is respectfully tell this story and make sure we’re honoring these people in a way that they want to be represented.”

When asked about I CAN ONLY IMAGINE 2’s message, Millard said, “Some movies are made to remind people they’re not alone,” adding, “You’ve got to find hope, even in the really, really dark times, and you’ve got to be realistic in the high times.”

I CAN ONLY IMAGINE 2 premieres Feb. 20, 2026.

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