movies

Jonathan Roumie trades in Jesus sandals for dress shoes in new ‘wholesome’ rom-com #Catholic Jonathan Roumie, known for his role portraying Jesus in “The Chosen,” is trading in the sandals for dress shoes in a new movie titled “Solo Mio” to be released on Feb. 6.Roumie first appeared as Jesus in the hit series in 2019. In 2023, he took on the role of Lonnie Frisbee, an evangelical pastor, in the film “Jesus Revolution.” Now, Roumie is playing the role of Neil, a wannabe therapist, in his first non-faith-based role since taking on the role of Jesus Christ.“It was a lovely change of pace for me,” Roumie told EWTN News in an interview. “It was nice to play a character that is not shouldering the weight of the world.”“Solo Mio,” rated PG and taking place in Rome, is a romantic comedy starring Kevin James as Matt Taylor, an art teacher left at the altar in Rome who decides to go on his nonrefundable honeymoon despite no longer being in a relationship. Throughout his journey, he encounters fellow honeymooners Neil, played by Roumie, and Julian, played by Kim Coates, who offer friendship and advice.Roumie shared that he became friends with James, a practicing Catholic, during a Lenten spiritual retreat. Two years later, James reached out to Roumie to pitch him the idea of the movie. Kevin James and Jonathan Roumie in “Solo Mio.” | Credit: Angel Studios “I said, ‘I’d do anything you’re doing. Whatever you’re doing, if you want me in it, I’d be honored to be in it,” Roumie recalled. “Because I just love him, I love his heart, and I love who he is and getting to know him as a person and as a man of faith to me was like, ‘All right, whatever this guy’s doing I know it’s going to be — he’s got God at the center of his life, so I know it’ll be good no matter what.’”Reflecting on his character, Neil, and Jesus, Roumie pointed out a similarity the two share in that they “both have huge hearts.”“Neil wants to help people heal. That’s his thing. He’s a therapist and he wants to help people heal and so does Jesus. And so I think that’s where they can kind of connect in that way,” he added.Another major theme seen throughout the film is the importance of genuine male friendships — a theme also seen among Jesus and the disciples in “The Chosen.”Roumie said he believes portrayals of male friendships are important because “for whatever reason, culture or society or the world in its current state has driven culture to, I don’t know, paint this negative picture of what it means to be masculine and what it means to share brotherhood.”“I think it comes down to this detraction of masculinity. And the whole toxic masculinity thing I think was something adopted by the culture that became very pervasive over the last 10 years,” he added. “And so you’ve seen any image of men being just men, and like good men, just stripped from stories and stripped from culture as if that’s what people want to see. And I think it’s a gross mischaracterization of what it means to be a man.”The actor said he sees this new movie as a “real throwback to how stories used to be told and the kinds of movies that used to be made — they were just good films, with great stories, that were wholesome, and that were beloved by generations of fans.”Roumie admitted that he’s aware that there will be people who are “a little nervous to see it because they only want to see me as Jesus.”“To them I say: It’s OK. It’s going to be OK. You’re going to enjoy the film. It’s within the ethos of the projects that appeal to me. It’s within the ethos of the spirit of the work that I think God has put me on this Earth to do. It’s within the ethos of the mission and the ministry that I carry as an artist,” he said.
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Jonathan Roumie trades in Jesus sandals for dress shoes in new ‘wholesome’ rom-com #Catholic Jonathan Roumie, known for his role portraying Jesus in “The Chosen,” is trading in the sandals for dress shoes in a new movie titled “Solo Mio” to be released on Feb. 6.Roumie first appeared as Jesus in the hit series in 2019. In 2023, he took on the role of Lonnie Frisbee, an evangelical pastor, in the film “Jesus Revolution.” Now, Roumie is playing the role of Neil, a wannabe therapist, in his first non-faith-based role since taking on the role of Jesus Christ.“It was a lovely change of pace for me,” Roumie told EWTN News in an interview. “It was nice to play a character that is not shouldering the weight of the world.”“Solo Mio,” rated PG and taking place in Rome, is a romantic comedy starring Kevin James as Matt Taylor, an art teacher left at the altar in Rome who decides to go on his nonrefundable honeymoon despite no longer being in a relationship. Throughout his journey, he encounters fellow honeymooners Neil, played by Roumie, and Julian, played by Kim Coates, who offer friendship and advice.Roumie shared that he became friends with James, a practicing Catholic, during a Lenten spiritual retreat. Two years later, James reached out to Roumie to pitch him the idea of the movie. Kevin James and Jonathan Roumie in “Solo Mio.” | Credit: Angel Studios “I said, ‘I’d do anything you’re doing. Whatever you’re doing, if you want me in it, I’d be honored to be in it,” Roumie recalled. “Because I just love him, I love his heart, and I love who he is and getting to know him as a person and as a man of faith to me was like, ‘All right, whatever this guy’s doing I know it’s going to be — he’s got God at the center of his life, so I know it’ll be good no matter what.’”Reflecting on his character, Neil, and Jesus, Roumie pointed out a similarity the two share in that they “both have huge hearts.”“Neil wants to help people heal. That’s his thing. He’s a therapist and he wants to help people heal and so does Jesus. And so I think that’s where they can kind of connect in that way,” he added.Another major theme seen throughout the film is the importance of genuine male friendships — a theme also seen among Jesus and the disciples in “The Chosen.”Roumie said he believes portrayals of male friendships are important because “for whatever reason, culture or society or the world in its current state has driven culture to, I don’t know, paint this negative picture of what it means to be masculine and what it means to share brotherhood.”“I think it comes down to this detraction of masculinity. And the whole toxic masculinity thing I think was something adopted by the culture that became very pervasive over the last 10 years,” he added. “And so you’ve seen any image of men being just men, and like good men, just stripped from stories and stripped from culture as if that’s what people want to see. And I think it’s a gross mischaracterization of what it means to be a man.”The actor said he sees this new movie as a “real throwback to how stories used to be told and the kinds of movies that used to be made — they were just good films, with great stories, that were wholesome, and that were beloved by generations of fans.”Roumie admitted that he’s aware that there will be people who are “a little nervous to see it because they only want to see me as Jesus.”“To them I say: It’s OK. It’s going to be OK. You’re going to enjoy the film. It’s within the ethos of the projects that appeal to me. It’s within the ethos of the spirit of the work that I think God has put me on this Earth to do. It’s within the ethos of the mission and the ministry that I carry as an artist,” he said.

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“Solo Mio” will be released in theaters across the U.S. on Feb. 6.

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New animated film ‘David’ tells story of Israel’s famous king for the whole family #Catholic A new animated film titled “David” tells the story of King David — from his humble beginnings as a shepherd boy to his battle against Goliath. / Credit: Sunrise Animation Studios CNA Staff, Dec 19, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA). A new animated film called “David” tells the story of King David, from his humble beginnings as a shepherd boy to his battle against Goliath. Created by Sunrise Animation Studios, the film aims to bring the story of David to life for both children and adults. Released in theaters Dec. 19, the film features popular Christian singers including Phil Wickham and Lauren Daigle. Brent Dawes, the writer and director of the film, told CNA in an interview that the inspiration for the film came 30 years ago when the founders of Sunrise Animation Studios first created the studio. “The studio was started by a guy and his wife, Phil and Jacqui Cunningham, and one of the reasons they started a studio was because Phil had a desire to make a movie on David over 30 years ago,” said Dawes, who has been working with the Cunninghams for 25 years. “So it’s been a vision for more than 30 years for him.” A new animated film titled “David” tells the story of King David — from his humble beginnings as a shepherd boy to his battle against Goliath. Credit: Sunrise Animation StudiosOriginally planned to be a live-action film, Cunningham approached Dawes 11 years ago about making the film animated instead. He said he thought making the film this way would “open the audience up hugely because families can watch it, kids can watch it, and it just allows so many more people to access it.”“David, as you might know, is not the most PG-friendly story in the Bible. So if you’re going to do a live-action version it’s going to be pretty R-rated and pretty much for adults,” Dawes explained. “So, making it an animation allowed us to sort of turn it back a little bit, still tell the story authentically, but tell it in a sort of gentler way so it meant it could just reach a much wider audience, which is wonderful.”Dawes pointed out that faith-based media, such as films like this one, are important to make, especially for children, because “Hollywood doesn’t tell stories from the heart anymore, and it tells it from a board room. Also, so many movies are told with an agenda, whether it’s political, whether it’s belief, all sorts of things.”He added: “So telling a story like this, obviously we’re coming from a Christian point of view, but it was important for us that we tell this movie for a world audience. We also don’t want to alienate people who don’t believe. We believe this is a truly accessible story, whether you believe or not.”“We’re not telling the audience, ‘You have to believe what our character believes,’ but our story is based 3,000 years ago, and this is what he believed, and this is how he lived his life. So, let us tell you that story. And however you want to engage with that, that’s up to you.”A new animated film titled “David” tells the story of King David — from his humble beginnings as a shepherd boy to his battle against Goliath. Credit: Sunrise Animation StudiosDawes shared that during all the time working with the story of David, he has learned several things from the famous king, specifically that “when a challenge comes up, it’s something to be faced with confidence, not with nervousness or fear — like David when he faced Goliath … He had a faith and a confidence and a childlike faith at that.”Dawes said he hopes viewers will not only be entertained but also left inspired. He hopes the  film “speaks to each individual where they are in their life.”
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New animated film ‘David’ tells story of Israel’s famous king for the whole family #Catholic A new animated film titled “David” tells the story of King David — from his humble beginnings as a shepherd boy to his battle against Goliath. / Credit: Sunrise Animation Studios CNA Staff, Dec 19, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA). A new animated film called “David” tells the story of King David, from his humble beginnings as a shepherd boy to his battle against Goliath. Created by Sunrise Animation Studios, the film aims to bring the story of David to life for both children and adults. Released in theaters Dec. 19, the film features popular Christian singers including Phil Wickham and Lauren Daigle. Brent Dawes, the writer and director of the film, told CNA in an interview that the inspiration for the film came 30 years ago when the founders of Sunrise Animation Studios first created the studio. “The studio was started by a guy and his wife, Phil and Jacqui Cunningham, and one of the reasons they started a studio was because Phil had a desire to make a movie on David over 30 years ago,” said Dawes, who has been working with the Cunninghams for 25 years. “So it’s been a vision for more than 30 years for him.” A new animated film titled “David” tells the story of King David — from his humble beginnings as a shepherd boy to his battle against Goliath. Credit: Sunrise Animation StudiosOriginally planned to be a live-action film, Cunningham approached Dawes 11 years ago about making the film animated instead. He said he thought making the film this way would “open the audience up hugely because families can watch it, kids can watch it, and it just allows so many more people to access it.”“David, as you might know, is not the most PG-friendly story in the Bible. So if you’re going to do a live-action version it’s going to be pretty R-rated and pretty much for adults,” Dawes explained. “So, making it an animation allowed us to sort of turn it back a little bit, still tell the story authentically, but tell it in a sort of gentler way so it meant it could just reach a much wider audience, which is wonderful.”Dawes pointed out that faith-based media, such as films like this one, are important to make, especially for children, because “Hollywood doesn’t tell stories from the heart anymore, and it tells it from a board room. Also, so many movies are told with an agenda, whether it’s political, whether it’s belief, all sorts of things.”He added: “So telling a story like this, obviously we’re coming from a Christian point of view, but it was important for us that we tell this movie for a world audience. We also don’t want to alienate people who don’t believe. We believe this is a truly accessible story, whether you believe or not.”“We’re not telling the audience, ‘You have to believe what our character believes,’ but our story is based 3,000 years ago, and this is what he believed, and this is how he lived his life. So, let us tell you that story. And however you want to engage with that, that’s up to you.”A new animated film titled “David” tells the story of King David — from his humble beginnings as a shepherd boy to his battle against Goliath. Credit: Sunrise Animation StudiosDawes shared that during all the time working with the story of David, he has learned several things from the famous king, specifically that “when a challenge comes up, it’s something to be faced with confidence, not with nervousness or fear — like David when he faced Goliath … He had a faith and a confidence and a childlike faith at that.”Dawes said he hopes viewers will not only be entertained but also left inspired. He hopes the  film “speaks to each individual where they are in their life.”

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A new animated film titled “David” tells the story of King David — from his humble beginnings as a shepherd boy to his battle against Goliath. / Credit: Sunrise Animation Studios

CNA Staff, Dec 19, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).

A new animated film called “David” tells the story of King David, from his humble beginnings as a shepherd boy to his battle against Goliath. Created by Sunrise Animation Studios, the film aims to bring the story of David to life for both children and adults. 

Released in theaters Dec. 19, the film features popular Christian singers including Phil Wickham and Lauren Daigle. 

Brent Dawes, the writer and director of the film, told CNA in an interview that the inspiration for the film came 30 years ago when the founders of Sunrise Animation Studios first created the studio. 

“The studio was started by a guy and his wife, Phil and Jacqui Cunningham, and one of the reasons they started a studio was because Phil had a desire to make a movie on David over 30 years ago,” said Dawes, who has been working with the Cunninghams for 25 years. “So it’s been a vision for more than 30 years for him.” 

A new animated film titled “David” tells the story of King David — from his humble beginnings as a shepherd boy to his battle against Goliath. Credit: Sunrise Animation Studios
A new animated film titled “David” tells the story of King David — from his humble beginnings as a shepherd boy to his battle against Goliath. Credit: Sunrise Animation Studios

Originally planned to be a live-action film, Cunningham approached Dawes 11 years ago about making the film animated instead. 

He said he thought making the film this way would “open the audience up hugely because families can watch it, kids can watch it, and it just allows so many more people to access it.”

“David, as you might know, is not the most PG-friendly story in the Bible. So if you’re going to do a live-action version it’s going to be pretty R-rated and pretty much for adults,” Dawes explained. “So, making it an animation allowed us to sort of turn it back a little bit, still tell the story authentically, but tell it in a sort of gentler way so it meant it could just reach a much wider audience, which is wonderful.”

Dawes pointed out that faith-based media, such as films like this one, are important to make, especially for children, because “Hollywood doesn’t tell stories from the heart anymore, and it tells it from a board room. Also, so many movies are told with an agenda, whether it’s political, whether it’s belief, all sorts of things.”

He added: “So telling a story like this, obviously we’re coming from a Christian point of view, but it was important for us that we tell this movie for a world audience. We also don’t want to alienate people who don’t believe. We believe this is a truly accessible story, whether you believe or not.”

“We’re not telling the audience, ‘You have to believe what our character believes,’ but our story is based 3,000 years ago, and this is what he believed, and this is how he lived his life. So, let us tell you that story. And however you want to engage with that, that’s up to you.”

A new animated film titled “David” tells the story of King David — from his humble beginnings as a shepherd boy to his battle against Goliath. Credit: Sunrise Animation Studios
A new animated film titled “David” tells the story of King David — from his humble beginnings as a shepherd boy to his battle against Goliath. Credit: Sunrise Animation Studios

Dawes shared that during all the time working with the story of David, he has learned several things from the famous king, specifically that “when a challenge comes up, it’s something to be faced with confidence, not with nervousness or fear — like David when he faced Goliath … He had a faith and a confidence and a childlike faith at that.”

Dawes said he hopes viewers will not only be entertained but also left inspired. He hopes the  film “speaks to each individual where they are in their life.”

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