The new film The Forge premiered on Friday, bringing a narrative of faith, mentorship and personal growth to the big screen.
Directed by Alex Kendrick and produced by Stephen Kendrick, The Forge, a spinoff of the film War Room, tells the story of Isaiah Wright (Aspen Kennedy), a 19-year-old basketball enthusiast with no clear direction.
Struggling with his relationship with his single mother, Cynthia (Priscilla Shirer), Isaiah is forced to confront his past and future when given an ultimatum: step up or move out.
Isaiah’s journey takes a significant turn when he lands a job at Moore Fitness, where the owner, Joshua Moore (Cameron Arnett), becomes a pivotal mentor. Through his new mentor’s guidance and his mother’s prayers, Isaiah begins to realize that God may have a greater purpose for him than he ever imagined. The Forge is a faith-based film that explores emotional themes of forgiveness, growth and alignment.
The film features an ensemble cast including Shirer, Cameron Arnett, Karen Abercrombie and newcomer Aspen Kennedy. T.C. Stallings, BJ Arnett, Ken Bevel, Benjamin Watson, Jonathan Evans, Jerry Shirer and Tommy Woodard also star.
Alex Kendrick shared at the film’s premiere, “We made this film to inspire, challenge, and motivate viewers to follow Jesus wholeheartedly. Our hope is that audiences around the world will recognize the pivotal role that Godly mentorship plays in shaping the next generation.”
Shirer added, “The theme of discipleship is near and dear to my heart, especially as a mom to three boys. My prayer is that this film will inspire parents to pray fervently for their children and for the mentors that God will use to impact their lives.”
For Kennedy, art imitates life. Navigating his journey as a child raised by a single parent prepared him for the role of Isaiah.
“Isaiah’s journey was so similar to my journey,” Kennedy detailed. “God put it on my heart years ago to forgive my dad years ago, and I didn’t understand why because I wasn’t angry or mad. Looking back, God wanted me to be apart of this project.”
Kennedy shared what he wanted the audience to take away from this film: “To truly surrender is a beautiful thing. When you trust God with your life, [he] will show up and place you exactly where you need to be.”
Yvonne Orji of Insecure has never hidden her faith and told us that she’s allowed her relationship with God to be her “centripetal force that keeps her grounded.”
Music artist MAJOR, who was in attendance to support the film and to promote his latest track, “Joy,” said the most important relationship is one with the God, who “centers him with everything else.”
He said, “I go back to it when I don’t understand circumstances because nothing that is for me will miss me, and that’s because of God’s design of it being intentional and purposeful.”
Trina Braxton said she was “taught the difference between religion and relationship” early on.
“You can be taught religion, but your relationship with the Lord is different. Your relationship determines how you move,” she shared.
The Forge is in theaters now.
