FMN Gets First Look at Kendrick Brothers’ ‘Flywheel’ Remake in Orlando. EXCLUSIVE.

Family Media News attended an exclusive first-look screening of “Flywheel: Ignition of the Soul” at a Regal theater in Orlando, Florida, ahead of the faith-based film’s planned U.S. theatrical release on Oct. 16, 2026.

The private event brought together invited guests for a gala dinner, a screening of the film and a question-and-answer session. Participants in the discussion included filmmakers Alex and Stephen Kendrick, Brian Lange, president of Collide Media Group, and Tana Evans, vice president of Affirm Entertainment, a division of Sony Pictures.

The evening offered an early look at a project that returns the Kendrick brothers to the story behind their first feature film. The original “Flywheel,” released in 2003, began as a small church-supported production in Georgia. It preceded the Kendricks’ later films, including “Facing the Giants,” “Fireproof,” “Courageous,” “War Room,” “Overcomer” and “The Forge.”

Rather than rereleasing that original production, the filmmakers have reimagined the story in Brazil with a Brazilian cast, setting and creative team. “Flywheel: Ignition of the Soul” was filmed on location in Rio de Janeiro and produced in Portuguese. North American audiences will be able to see it in dubbed and subtitled English versions.

The new film follows Noah Silva, a used-car salesman whose willingness to say and do whatever helps him close a deal begins to damage both his business and his family. As the consequences of his conduct become harder to avoid, Noah must examine the choices that shaped his relationships with his wife, his son, his customers and his faith.

That central premise remains closely connected to the 2003 film, which starred Alex Kendrick as a dishonest car dealer facing a crisis of conscience. The Brazilian production, however, places the story within a different culture and introduces new performers and details rather than attempting to reproduce the earlier movie scene by scene.

Alessandro Barros directed the remake from a screenplay credited to Alex Kendrick. The cast includes Mario Bregieira, Pérola Faria, Gui Tavares, Felipe Folgosi, Adriano Canindé and Elizeu Rodrigues. Alex Kendrick also appears in the film.

The project grew from the Kendrick brothers’ connection with audiences and Christian filmmakers in Brazil. During promotional work for “The Forge,” the brothers met with Brazilian church leaders, pastors and filmmakers interested in developing faith-centered films rooted in their own country. Those conversations helped lead to the new version of “Flywheel,” made under the Kendricks’ guidance while relying on Brazilian filmmakers to tell the story in a local setting.

The Orlando program gave attendees an opportunity to view the completed film in a theatrical environment and then hear from people involved in its creative development, distribution and release.

Among those responding positively to the film was influencer Juan de Montreal, who attended the Orlando screening with his family. His reaction reflected the broader response Family Media News observed throughout the event, as the story’s focus on honesty, repentance, and restoring broken trust appeared to resonate with the audience. “I would 100% recommend everyone watch this movie,” he said.

The remake’s ties to a familiar Kendrick title may also give longtime viewers a clear point of entry, while its Brazilian setting introduces the material to audiences in a new form.

The film arrives more than two decades after the original “Flywheel” established the Kendricks’ approach to stories built around family pressures, personal responsibility and Christian faith. Their productions have since reached much larger theatrical audiences, but the decision to revisit their first film brings attention back to the modest story that began that work.

“Flywheel: Ignition of the Soul” is scheduled to open exclusively in U.S. theaters on Oct. 16, 2026. Its reception in Orlando suggested a promising start among the invited audience.