Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic
Religious Music & Entertainment
‘What If…’: Kevin Sorbo’s Dallas Jenkins Movie Is Back

‘What If…’: Kevin Sorbo’s Dallas Jenkins Movie Is Back

Last updated on: August 2, 2025 at 10:40 pm by Kate O'Hare

0 Comments

‘What If…’: Kevin Sorbo’s Dallas Jenkins Movie Is Back 2025-08-02T22:40:45-08:00 Kate O'Hare

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Kevin Sorbo’s life and career took a turn into a new direction, but it didn’t start when some folks think it did. Indeed, one wonders what would have happened if he hadn’t done a 2010 film called What If….

When Sorbo starred in the film, he was coming off, among other things, two successful syndicated series — the fantasy drama Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, produced by Sam Raimi, and the sci-fi series Andromeda, produced by a division of Tribune Company, my former employer — and a starring role in the fantasy film Kull the Conqueror.

In 2014, Sorbo did the commercially successful faith-based drama God’s Not Dead, and began to become known for doing Christian films — but it wasn’t the first one he’d done.

Kevin Sorbo Charted a New Course in What If…

Co-written by Chuck Konzelman (God’s Not Dead, Unplanned, Nefarious), What If… was directed by a guy named Dallas Jenkins, an up-and-coming filmmaker not really known by mainstream entertainment.

Now showbiz knows who he is, since Jenkins is the creator, co-writer and director of the mega-hit Gospels-based series The Chosen. As often happens in entertainment when someone achieves success, there’s a look back into their earlier work to see what may be eligible for a resurrection.

Having remained popular, What If… celebrates its 15th anniversary on Aug. 5 and 7, returning to theaters as a Fathom Event.

Sorbo read the script, loved it, and accepted Screen Actors Guild scale payment to shoot the story of Ben Walker, a successful businessman who abandoned his faith on the way up the corporate ladder. A truck-driving angel (John Ratzenberger) shows up and lets Ben see what his life would have been, had he married his high-school sweetheart (Kristy Swanson) and become a pastor.

Talking to Kevin Sorbo

Recently, I got to chat with Sorbo — whom I met long before What If…, on the set of Andromeda (and here’s the story) — about the film and the turn it represented in his career.

The whole interview is below, but here are some excerpts.

On getting the call from Jenkins:

But he calls me up a couple, about six months, ago and said, “You know what? We rewatch this show, What If…, my kids, it’s their favorite movie of everything I’ve done. They like it more than The Chosen.” And I said, “I’ve always loved it.” Dallas, he wants to make a TV series out of it, which, who knows? …

But when they decided to re-release it, I said, “This is Heaven-sent. I’ve always wanted people to see his movie. This is a chance now for you to get the opportunity that it deserved.”

On evangelization through entertainment:

Keep doing movies. Don’t preach to people. That’s the biggest thing that turns ’em off. They get negative about it right away.

And if you’re a person of faith and say, “Hey, you want to come to my church?” “There’s church people there. I don’t want to go there.” But to say, “Hey, you want to go see a movie?” It’s a different thing.

I had a screening of What If… at my house and I invited some friends over. They’re friends, and they’re agnostic and atheist — not going to name names, because a couple of ’em are pretty well-known actors and you’ll know who they are, but I’m not going to name ’em.

And they said after the movie, they went, “That’s a really good movie. I’m not a Christian, but that’s just a good movie.”

On What If… says to audiences:

And I hope they take the time to go look at a movie like What If…, it shows that there is redemption no matter how bad you are or how much you have anger and hate and just blackness in your heart, that there is light at the end of that tunnel.

You just have to want to look in the mirror and go, “OK, I’m going to open up a little bit and see if there’s something else out there.” Instead of just being filled with all this anger and hate every day.

On the message that there’s hope even if you’re not a “perfect Christian”:

I’m not a perfect person in any way, trust me. And I have to ask for forgiveness every bloody day. But that’s why Jesus came here to save our souls. And I’ve always been a Christian. I’ve never been not a perfect one.

…

OK, so I don’t want to just preach to the choir. I want the choir to support my movies, but I’m going to touch those out there that are hurting, people out there that have hate and anger in their lives.

People out there that have … we all have problems, but you’re not going to please everybody. And I had a guy tell me one time, he goes, “You better screw up. You better never, never screw up.” “I screw up.” He goes, “Well, then, the Christians never forgive you.”

And that made me sad. because I know there are people like that world.

Show me a perfect Christian. for crying out loud. So it’s like, give me a break with this attitude that if I screw up, they’ll never let you back in their club.

Take a look:

Click here for theaters and tickets .. and take look at the Fathom trailer, with a message from Jenkins …

Image: Fathom Entertainment

Don’t miss a thing: Subscribe to all that I write at Authory.com/KateOHare.

Religious Music and Entertainment

About Kate O'Hare

Based in Los Angeles, Kate O'Hare is a veteran entertainment journalist, Social Media Content Manager and Blog Editor for Family Theater Productions and a rookie screenwriter. You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post

July 27, 2025

Business, Cows, Critters & Doctors: What I Watch on YouTube

Next Post

August 5, 2025 'Sketch': Angel's Family Horror-Comedy Draws Laughs & Scares

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"I read somewhere that Jesus claims to be present in the hungry, thirsty, homeless, sick……just ..."

RPlavo .

‘Adore Him: He Is Here’: On ..."

"My husband was Key Assistant Locations Manager on this film and it was so gratifying ..."

Mary Ashley Bannister

‘Coyote vs. Acme’: Never, Ever Give ..."

"Kate, Alan owes you big time...I mean like a steak dinner or something! I have ..."

s ci

‘The Odyssey’: What a (Very) Long, ..."

"It's true: the language was prosaic American English. Yes, some of the characters were shallow ..."

Clayton Emmer

‘The Odyssey’: What a (Very) Long, ..."

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category books breaking news digital media Faith practice food interview jane the virgin media movies music NFL Pope Francis Showbiz 101 social media sports technology television Uncategorized video

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz