Published: September 23, 2026 · 2:45 AM EDT
The country and Christian music singer’s life story heads to the big screen as Lionsgate and Kingdom Story Company prepare a film inspired by her Billboard No. 1 hit, her brother’s death and her memoir My Jesus: From Heartache to Hope
Anne Wilson, the American country and Christian music singer whose breakthrough single “My Jesus” topped Billboard's Christian Airplay chart in 2021, will see her life story adapted for the big screen. Lionsgate and Kingdom Story Company have announced the principal cast of My Jesus, a feature film inspired by Wilson's rise to fame and the personal tragedy that shaped her musical career.
Aliza Kate Barlow will portray Wilson in the film, marking her theatrical studio feature debut. Gavin Casalegno, known for The Summer I Turned Pretty, will play her late brother Jacob, while Monica Potter and Charles Esten will portray their parents, Lynn and Kent. Beau Bridges has been cast as the singer's grandfather, Bob.
Production is scheduled to begin in October 2026, with Kay Oyegun making her feature directorial debut. Oyegun, whose television credits include This Is Us, also wrote the screenplay, adapting Wilson's memoir My Jesus: From Heartache to Hope. Lionsgate and Kingdom Story Company have not yet announced a theatrical release date.
THE STORY BEHIND “MY JESUS”
The film will explore the circumstances that led Wilson, a teenager from Kentucky, to pursue music following the death of her older brother Jacob in a 2017 car accident. Wilson had initially dreamed of becoming an astronaut, but her path changed when she performed Hillsong Worship's “What a Beautiful Name” at his funeral.
A recording of that performance circulated online and attracted the attention of music industry professionals. Wilson eventually signed with Capitol Christian Music Group in 2019, beginning the recording career that would introduce her voice to Christian and country audiences.
“My Jesus,” released in April 2021, became her breakthrough single. Co-written by Wilson, Matthew West and Jeff Pardo, the song reached No. 1 on Billboard's Christian Airplay chart, where it spent seven weeks at the top. Wilson became the first female solo artist to lead the ranking with a debut single since the chart launched in 2003.
The recording also topped Billboard's Hot Christian Songs chart, won the GMA Dove Award for Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year and received a Billboard Music Award nomination for Top Christian Song.
Wilson subsequently released her debut studio album, My Jesus, in April 2022. The record received a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album, extending the success of the single that introduced her to a national audience.
FROM THE RECORDING STUDIO TO THE BIG SCREEN
The upcoming film will examine how Wilson's unexpected musical success affected her relationship with her family, friends and personal expectations. According to the production announcement, the story follows her journey from an ordinary teenager sharing a performance online to a recording artist navigating the opportunities and responsibilities of a growing career.
Joshua Walsh, Brandon Gregory, Andrew Erwin and Daryl LeFever will produce the film for Kingdom Story Company, with Jim Miller, Matthew West and Robert Deaton serving as executive producers. West's involvement connects the production directly to the songwriting team behind Wilson's original breakthrough hit.
For Wilson, My Jesus will bring the personal story behind her first major recording to a new audience through a dramatized account of the events that shaped her career. With production approaching and the principal cast confirmed, the film represents another chapter for a song whose success began at Christian radio in 2021.
Watch Anne Wilson’s official “My Jesus” music video, directed by Travis Flynn, below:
Written by Gino Alache – Music Journalist
IMAGE CREDIT: Sophia Mantinazad / Official promotional photograph.
