Breakthrough (2019 film)

Breakthrough is an upcoming 2019 American Christian drama film directed by Roxann Dawson. It is written by Grant Nieporte and based on the Christian novel The Impossible, an account of true events written by Joyce Smith with Ginger Kolbaba. The film stars Chrissy Metz, Josh Lucas, Topher Grace, Mike Colter, Marcel Ruiz, Sam Trammel, and Dennis Haysbert with a cameo by contemporary Christian artist Phil Wickham. Basketball player Stephen Curry is executive producer.

A suburban St. Louis teenager who slipped through an icy lake in January 2015 and had no pulse for nearly 45 minutes after he was rescued has made a miraculous recovery, doctors said. Says his father Brian, "he was back out under his own power. Everything is normal, no tell-tale signs." Already strong in faith, John Smith now speaks to church groups and banquets, and has plans to become a minister. His mother, Joyce, wrote a book titled The Impossible, on which the film is based. This will be the first film from 20th Century Fox to be released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, due to the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney on March 20, 2019. However, after the acquisition, Disney decided to shut down Fox 2000 Pictures, and this is one of the last releases from the Fox 2000 Pictures label.

Plot
John Smith fell through ice on Lake St. Louis while playing with friends. He was put in a coma after being rescued by first responder Tommy Shine. The film follows his parents Joyce and Brian, whose faith in God keeps their hope alive that John will pull through.

Cast

 * Chrissy Metz as Joyce Smith, the mother of John.
 * Josh Lucas as Brian Smith, the father of John.
 * Marcel Ruiz as John Smith, a boy who fell through ice.
 * Topher Grace as Pastor Jason Noble, a pastor in the Smith family's town.
 * Mike Colter as Tommy Shine, a first responder who helped to save John from the ice.
 * Sam Trammel as Dr. Kent Sutterer
 * Dennis Haysbert as Dr. Garrett

Production
Producer DeVon Franklin helped the Smith family find a literary agent and then develop the book in a film after it was published. The movie was shot in Manitoba from March to May 2018. Locations for the 31-day shoot included Winnipeg, Selkirk, and Portage la Prairie.

Marketing
An official trailer for the film was released on December 5, 2018 and received more than 30 million views within two days, becoming the most-viewed trailer for a religious film within that timespan.

Release
Breakthrough is to be released in North American theaters on April 17, 2019 By Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, and is expected to gross $12-$20 million on its opening weekend. The expectation is also based from the string of successful faith-based films released recently such as Heaven Is for Real, which grossed $73 million on a $15 million budget.