CHRIS PRATT AND FALLING FORWARD FILMS BOARD MILITARY COMBAT CHAPLAINS DOCUMENTARY FOR VETERANS DAY THEATRICAL RELEASE
“Fighting Spirit: A Combat Chaplain’s Journey," Is The First Co-Production Between Hollywood and the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps
HOLLYWOOD, CA, UNITED STATES, September 11, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Multi-Emmy winning producer Paulist Productions2 and the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps announced today that Chris Pratt will join their upcoming documentary film Fighting Spirit1: A Combat Chaplain’s Journey as Executive Producer. Falling Forward Films3, led by distribution veteran Scott Kennedy, also announced that it will release the film theatrically on November 8th for Veterans Day in over 20 major U.S. markets, including Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Dallas.
Executive Producer Chris Pratt said, “I’m so excited for audiences to see this film theatrically on Veterans Day. The work done by combat chaplains to support our soldiers through issues of life and death on the frontlines is truly extraordinary, and to be part of celebrating this story of a chaplain’s journey in such a cinematic way is an honor.”
When the remains of prisoner-of-war and Army combat chaplain Emil Kapaun (perhaps the Vatican’s next saint) are identified after 70 years, much of our nation is captivated by their journey home. As a younger former chaplain unexpectedly embarks on his own journey to greet them, he becomes inspired by the untold stories of the 419 U.S. military chaplain heroes who’ve given their lives for this unique calling. As the paths of these combat chaplains from different eras finally collide, we’re reminded how the profound weight of history and the immense power of love can converge to produce a life-changing healing.
Fighting Spirit: A Combat Chaplain’s Journey marks the first-ever co-production between Hollywood and the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps. It is notable for having Pope Francis grant the filmmakers a rare preview at The Vatican, followed by sneak previews at the Army’s iconic Fort Knox, the Newport Beach Film Festival, and the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles.
Veteran film producer and Paulist Productions board member Rich Hull (She’s All That) co-directed, produced, and wrote the film alongside co-director and former combat chaplain Justin D. Roberts (No Greater Love). After producing more than 25 films, this marks Hull’s directorial debut, and his second collaboration with the military after previously sharing the NAACP Image Award with Halle Berry as Executive Producer of the documentary film For Love of Liberty: The Story of America’s Black Patriots. Hull is also a founder of the ViX streaming service, the largest Spanish-language streaming service in the world, which was acquired by TelevisaUnivision in 2021.
Paulist Productions is a non-profit production company founded over 60 years ago to create thought-provoking entertainment that explores the human condition. It has produced numerous Emmy and other award-winning documentaries, feature films, and television for Paramount, Warner Bros., CBS, ABC, A&E, Lifetime, and many others.
Co-director, producer, and writer Hull said, “Chris Pratt is an icon of the big screen, and to see him spark to our film so genuinely is an incredible compliment. We’re so grateful to partner with him, along with Scott Kennedy, Bryce Campbell, and our friends at Falling Forward Films, to bring this unique story to theaters on November 8th.”
Michael Sullivan, President of Paulist Productions, added, “This project has been years in the making, with everyone involved pitching in with extraordinary contributions – from Rich Hull’s tireless work to our first-of-its-kind partnership with the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps, and now to the addition of Chris Pratt as our partner.” Added Chaplain (Colonel) Brandon Moore, Chief of Recruiting and Accessions for the Army Chief of Chaplains Office, “This film will inspire viewers from diverse backgrounds as they discover these unknown accounts of heroism and sacrifice. The Chaplain Corps is grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with such filmmaking experts to bring this story to life and honor our nearly 250-year legacy.”
Combat chaplains wear uniforms, but carry no weapons. And their service can involve the ultimate sacrifice. In every battle throughout our nation’s history, they’ve been there…quietly supporting soldiers while bullets flew by. Perhaps more than any other profession, diversity is their unique and inspirational strength because, while they may be Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, or Buddhist, when they’re on the front lines of combat, they support and stand up for soldiers of all faiths – and no faith. These are the unsung heroes who help shape our country’s history.
Fighting Spirit: A Combat Chaplain’s Journey is produced by Rich Hull and Daniel Schnider. Executive producers are Michael Sullivan and Tom Gibbons, CSP for Paulist Productions, and Chris Pratt and Justin D. Roberts. Co-producers are Holly Stocking, David Moore, and Brandon R. Moore. Pratt is represented by Julie Darmody at Rise Management, Jason Heyman at UTA, and attorney Jason Sloane at Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern.
Travis Tamerro at UTA is repping the film for streaming and other distribution.
For more information please visit https://fightingspiritfilm.com/.
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About Paulist Productions
Paulist Productions is the 60-year-old non-profit production and financing company founded by renowned Catholic priest Fr. Ellwood “Bud” Kieser, also the Founder of the prestigious Humanitas Prize. Paulist’s extensive library of films and Emmy-winning TV shows includes over 500 hours of content, such as the remastered Raul Julia-starrer Romero recounting the story of the recently canonized saint Fr. Oscar Romero; The Fourth Wise Man starring Martin Sheen, Alan Arkin, Eileen Brennan and Ralph Bellamy; and Christmas films such as The Juggler of Notre Dame.
About the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps
The U.S. Army Chaplain Corps was established on July 29, 1775, just six weeks after our nation’s Army was established. Two hundred and eighteen chaplains served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. Two hundred and fifty years later, chaplains remain at the center of the Chaplain Corps, but they don’t serve alone. Today’s Army Chaplain Corps includes more than 3,000 chaplains and nearly 3,000 religious affairs specialists serving in uniform, plus more than 50 civilian directors of religious education and nearly 100 other civilians. That unified team of dedicated professionals ministers to America’s soldiers and their families in peacetime and in wartime, and in every corner of the world where America’s Army goes. Accounts of the devotion to duty
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WATCH NOW: official trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew1m9v_kSDY
1 https://fightingspiritfilm.com
2 https://www.paulistproductions.org
3 https://fallingforwardfilms.com
