“A love story is just so universal,” said Kevin Downes, producer of “I Still Believe,” opening March 13 in theaters. “These two people who love each other, what are they going to do in the face of life’s challenges and valleys?”

Revealing the early years of platinum-selling recording artist Jeremy Camp, the upcoming Lionsgate film features trending heartthrobs K.J. Apa (“Riverdale”) as Camp and Britt Robertson (“The Longest Ride”) as his college flame, along with Gary Sinise (“Apollo 13”) and country star Shania Twain portraying Camp’s parents.

Co-directors Jon and Andrew Erwin and collaborator Downes hope to make a global splash as “I Still Believe” releases on a larger scale than past faith-driven movies. Already receiving buzz from Entertainment Weekly, E! News, and MTV, Lionsgate plans to open the romance drama on more than 3,000 screens nationwide, including preview events in IMAX.

“Having the full support of Lionsgate is new for us,” said Jon Erwin at a press event for the film. “They’re treating this no different than they would ‘Twilight’ or ‘The Hunger Games’ or any of their huge releases. The ad buy is going to be big, just like any other movie. We’ve never experienced anything like it.”

Following their successful 2018 film “I Can Only Imagine,” which earned $86 million at the global box office, Lionsgate partnered with the Christian brothers to form a production company that would feed into its movie pipeline. “I Still Believe” marks the first release from that new entity, Kingdom Story Company, with several other films in development.

The filmmakers see demand rising for engaging, faith-conscious movies. “Look at what’s in the entertainment zeitgeist this past decade: ‘Game of Thrones,’ ‘House of Cards,’ ‘Breaking Bad,’” said Erwin. “It’s basically us versus them, social Darwinism, with no clear sense of right and wrong. What has come out of that is a cultural yearning for innocence, hope, and optimism.”

Full story at The Federalist.