Zachary Levi Shares the God-Centric Message in ‘The Unbreakable Boy’
The lead actor in the new faith-centric movie The Unbreakable Boy says its plot carries a hope-filled story encouraging viewers to view every aspect of life as a gift from God. The PG-rated movie, which opens this weekend, tells the true story of an autistic boy, Austin, who is born with a rare brittle-bone disease yet transforms everyone around him with his joyous outlook on life. Actor Zachary Levi portrays Scott, the father. Levi is best known for his roles in the Shazam franchise, American Underdog, and Harold and the Purple Crayon.
"I hope [viewers] walk away with hope," Levi told Crosswalk Headlines. "I hope they walk away recognizing that they're not alone, that there's beauty in all of it -- that every single struggle, every single challenge that God brings into our life, doesn't have to be some wasted thing. There's opportunity to grow."
The film follows Scott and his wife as they fight to get Austin the medical care he needs. At the same time, Scott is battling an alcohol addiction after a job layoff triggers a personal financial crisis.
Scott "struggles" throughout the movie, Levi said, to meet his own expectations for his life.
"We all have that. We all have these ideas of, no, that's not what my life is supposed to be. My life is supposed to be this. And God's up there being like, 'Is it? Because I have other plans for you. And you can fight that, or you can accept it, and you can see the beauty in what it is that I'm trying to do in your life.' And I think that is so much at the crux of what this film is about."
The Unbreakable Boy was produced by the same studio, Kingdom Story, that released I Can Only Imagine and Jesus Revolution. It's based on a book of the same name, by the father, Scott LeRette. Jon Gunn (The Case for Christ) directed it.
"When I read the script, I was so moved by it," Levi said. "... I had never seen or read anything like it. Autism is something that is affecting everybody at this point in life. And I had never even heard of a story that so beautifully and authentically tackles something like this. And from an acting perspective, I've gotten to play lots of really awesome roles, but most of them tend to stay in a pretty positive energy. And to play a role like Scott, where there is a lot of positivity, but there's also a lot of the underbelly of the struggles of what it means to be a father and just a human being in general -- I really was grateful to flex all of the acting muscles in that and bring something just so authentic to life."
The Unbreakable Boy is rated PG for strong thematic material, alcohol abuse, language, and some violence.
Photo Credit: ©Lionsgate
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published February 17, 2025.
