The Resurrection of Gavin Stone

The Resurrection of Gavin Stone is a 2017 American Christian comedy-drama film directed by Dallas Jenkins, written by Andrea Gyertson Nasfell, and starring Brett Dalton, Anjelah Johnson, Neil Flynn, Shawn Michaels and D. B. Sweeney. The film was released on January 20, 2017, by WWE Studios and Blumhouse Tilt.

Plot
Former child star Gavin Stone is now a washed-up, partied-out man. When he is forced to return home, he pretends to be a Christian so he can portray Jesus in an Easter play being produced by a megachurch.

Cast

 * Brett Dalton as Gavin Stone
 * Anjelah Johnson as Kelly Richardson
 * Neil Flynn as Waylon Stone
 * Shawn Michaels as Doug
 * D. B. Sweeney as Pastor Allen Richardson
 * Tim Frank as John Mark
 * Liam Matthews as Charles
 * Christopher Maleki as Mike Meara
 * Patrick Gagnon as Anthony

Production
As Jenkins was searching for an actor for the lead role, his son, a fan of the television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., suggested Brett Dalton. Not being familiar with the name, Jenkins mentioned Brett to the casting director who, after one audition, cast the actor as Gavin Stone. Jenkins announced on his Facebook page that filming of the film would start in May 2015, as would casting of local churchgoers as extras. The film was shot in 20 days, as behind-the-scenes videos were posted showing the production process.

Release
On July 29, 2015, it was announced that WWE Studios had acquired worldwide rights to the faith-based comedy. On July 20, 2016, Vertical Church Films announced that the film would be released on January 20, 2017.

Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 42% based on 12 reviews and an average rating of 5.1/10. On Metacritic, the film has a score 36 out of 100 based on 5 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".