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The project emerged out of the Kendrick Brothers\u2019 growing impact in Brazil. Their 2024 film, The Forge, <\/em>opened in the Brazilian market at #1 and greatly exceeded box-office expectations.\u00a0 While promoting The Forge<\/em> release, Alex and Stephen Kendrick connected with leaders across the country who expressed a growing need for locally rooted, faith-driven content.<\/p>\n This idea resonated with the team at AFFIRM Films, who then expanded their partnership with the Kendricks to invest in Brazilian filmmakers and audiences. In collaboration with executive producer Ygor Siqueira and 360WayUp, the team identified Flywheel <\/em>as the ideal fan-favorite and inspirational story to be filmed through this fresh, culturally authentic lens. Leveraging the success of their involvement with the Christian Worldview Filmmaker\u2019s Guild, which engages 500+ emerging creatives annually, the Kendricks hosted a filmmaking bootcamp in Rio to prepare for the new venture\u2019s fall 2025 production. The initiative quickly attracted filmmakers from across Brazil and rallied them around a shared creative vision to raise the bar of faith-infused Brazilian cinema. The Kendricks recruited many of the talented attendees and then launched into principal photography in Rio one month later. The new film will release theatrically in Brazil and Latin America in September of 2026, one month before its October 16 US theatrical release.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Brazilian filmmakers had all the talent and ingredients in the kitchen but wanted us to help them produce something inspirational in Brazil at the quality they saw in The Forge<\/em>,\u201d said Alex Kendrick.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat usually takes months of preparation happened in days. It was amazing. We did not know the language, local resources, or culture, but saw God help us do more in less time. We found out that Brazilian pastors had been praying for this for five years. The movie is better shot, acted, and scored than the original, and the storyline is just as powerful. I\u2019m truly excited to see how audiences will respond to this new version in theaters this fall,\u201d expressed Stephen Kendrick.<\/p>\n Set in Rio de Janeiro, the new film Flywheel<\/em>: Ignition of the Soul <\/em>follows Noah Silva, a smooth-talking, used-car salesman whose \u201cdo whatever it takes\u201d approach to business and life begins to unravel at home and at work. After a series of wake-up calls, Noah is forced to confront the cost of his choices. He begins a difficult and deeply personal journey to restore his integrity while trying to win back the hearts of his wife and son.<\/p>\n The new film Flywheel: Ignition of the Soul <\/em>stars Mario Bregieira, P\u00e9rola Faria, Gui Tavares, Felipe Folgosi, Adriano Canind\u00e9, Elizeu Rodrigues with Alex Kendrick. Written by Alex Kendrick and directed by Alessandro Barros, the remake will be dubbed and subtitled in English over the Portuguese original language for the North American market.<\/p>\n \u201cIt has been an honor to partner with the Kendricks over the past 20 years and witness firsthand the extraordinary worldwide impact of their films. It\u2019s exciting to see the story of Flywheel<\/em> reimagined in a new and meaningful way, introducing a new generation to what made it so special in the first place,\u201d said Head of AFFIRM Films, Rich Peluso.<\/p>\n The film is produced by Mark Miller, Stephen Kendrick, Alex Kendrick, Daniel Friesen, and Wiltonauar Moura with executive producers Alex Kendrick, Stephen Kendrick, Jim McBride, and Ygor Siqueira.<\/p>\n