Award-winning actress Jennifer Garner is set to star in the upcoming faith-based film "Miracles From Heaven," which tells the story of a little girl's miraculous journey of faith and healing.
On Wednesday, Variety reported that the film will be released through TriStar pictures and will be produced by Joe Roth, Devon Franklin, and T.D. Jakes--the team behind the massively successful film, "Heaven Is For Real."
"Miracles From Heaven" is based on the bestselling book by Christian mother Christy Beam. In the book, Beam documents how her young daughter, Annabel, struggled for years with two life-threatening, incurable disorders. Because of the severity of her illnesses, Annabel at one time told her mother she wanted to "go to heaven and see Jesus."
However, Jesus had other plans for Annabel's life. One day, the little girl was climbing a 30-foot Cottonwood tree when she accidentally fell through a hole and remained unresponsive for several hours before being rescued. Soon after her frightening fall, Annabel was mysteriously healed of the chronic diseases that had plagued her her whole life. Even more miraculous was Annabel's account of visiting heaven and meeting Jesus during her time in the tree.
"Annabel told me, 'I sat on Jesus' lap and He said it wasn't my time. He said, 'Annabel, the firemen are gonna get you out, and when they do, there will be nothing wrong with you,'" Beam told the Gospel Herald in a recent interview. "She told him, 'I don't wanna go, I wanna stay with you, where there is no pain.' Jesus responded, 'I know you do, Annabel, but I have plans for you on earth that you can't complete in Heaven. But I will send my guardian angel to protect you, and she's going to light the tree for you and stay with you.'"
"Miracles From Heaven" will begin production this summer, and is expected to be released on Easter 2016. Popular screenwriter Randy Brown will pen the script. The film is expected to follow in the success of "Heaven Is for Real" which took in over $100 million worldwide, becoming one of the biggest faith-based hits of all time.
On her Facebook page, Beam said she is "excited" that Garner will star in the film adaptation of her book.
"I hope [this story] provides hope and encouragement to others, but it also reminds them that God is faithful in the little things," Beam earlier told the GH. "It doesn't have to be one big huge grand miracle that happens to help you realize that God is faithful. He is there, He is real, He is active in your life. It is all those small acts of faithfulness that He is trying to show you daily of His love and His reality there for you. It may not mean you get a grand miracle, and that's ok, because sometimes all those little acts of faithfulness that God is showing you daily are miracles themselves."
