By India McCarty
A new documentary will bring Jimmy Stewart’s story of faith, patriotism and Hollywood to the big screen.
“We’re partnering with the Stewart family — Jimmy Stewart’s daughter and her family — to bring his life to the big screen,” filmmaker Aaron Burns told CBN News of the project, titled A TRULY WONDERFUL LIFE. “He’s known as…the every man of America.”
Burns said he was inspired to explore Stewart’s story after learning he left Hollywood at the height of his career to enlist in the Army Air Corps and fight in WWII.
“[Stewart] says, ‘I want to be something more than just a Tinseltown hero. I wanted to serve my country, serve my fellow Americans,’” he explained. “[It was] just an incredible story that you’d never imagined for Jimmy Stewart.”
Related: How Jimmy Stewart Relied on His Faith During the Military and Movies
A TRULY WONDERFUL LIFE will also touch on Stewart and his father’s faith-filled relationship, including a note given to the actor before he shipped out that contained Psalm 91.
“It’s about the Lord’s comfort and Lord being with you,” Burns explained. “And his dad said, ‘I have confidence and I will be praying for you the whole time you’re away that God will be with you. You’ll make it home safely,’ and [Stewart] kept that with him in his uniform every mission that he went on.”
Burns concluded, “I want my kids to be able to know the hero that Jimmy Stewart was and to see what he went through, the sacrifice he made for us, and to see what the powerful prayers and love of a father for their son — the impact that that can make, so that’s a story that we’re helping to tell.”
In a statement provided to Deadline, Stewart’s daughter, Kelly Stewart-Harcourt said, “Our family is thrilled that Aaron and his team approached us about bringing Dad’s story to life on the big screen. Everyone loved him as George Bailey. Now they can learn how that movie intertwined with other parts of his life in so many important ways.”
This isn’t the only Hollywood project that’s bringing Stewart’s story to the screen. A biopic about the actor, titled JIMMY, is currently in production, with RIVERDALE’s KJ Apa playing the titular role.
“I have always been a huge James Stewart fan and feel so honored I get to bring his story to life,” Apa said of the role. “As someone from New Zealand, I’ve long admired that generation of American men who stood for patriotism, integrity, and a deep sense of duty. It is important to me to give back to a country that has given me so much, and what better way to do that than by honoring a man who served it with great honor.”
A TRULY WONDERFUL LIFE is expected to premiere in November 2026.
Read Next: Jimmy Stewart Biopic Adds These Stars to Cast
Questions or comments? Please write to us here.
– Content: +1Share:
– Content: +1