The lead actor of "The Chosen" streaming series plays a hippie preacher in this 1970s period piece from the Erwin Brothers.
Jonathan Roumie has gained quite the following by playing the Jesus character in The Chosen, which through two seasons has garnered a staggering 412 million views. He is also a talented actor, so it comes as no surprise he is among the headliners in Jesus Revolution from the duo of Andrew Erwin and Jon Erwin.
The Alabama brothers - among the top filmmakers in the Christian genre - co-produced this picture with Kevin Downes under their partnership with Hollywood studio Lionsgate, and Jon co-wrote it with Jon Gunn and co-directed with Brent McCorkle...yes, the younger Erwin wears many hats. This true story is based on a book of the same name by Pastor Greg Laurie, and it details his journey to faith.
Set in the early 1970s, the action plays out in California where the then teenaged future pastor comes to Christ together with a massive - and motley - assortment of hippies and other counter-culture adherents in what is now known as the Jesus Movement. In the movie, Roumie plays street preacher Lonnie Frisbee, who was among those in the vanguard of the movement.
The 48-year-old actor and native New Yorker, who's character in this one looks an awful lot like his Jesus character in The Chosen, tells USA Today that Frisbee's story epitomizes the power of God to use fallen man to advance His kingdom.
"Lonnie is a perfect example of how God uses these broken, ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Luckily, there is hope offered."
Roumie will be joined on screen by Kelsey Grammer, Joel Courtney and host of good Christian actors like DeVon Franklin, Todd Terry and Emma Elle Roberts. Jesus Revolution is scheduled to release in theaters in February, 2023, and the trailer below will give you a sense of what to expect in the meantime.