The team behind the new biopic of legendary actor Jimmy Stewart has announced a major initiative to provide movie tickets to 1 million veterans and first responders.
As CBN News previously reported, the movie “Jimmy,” which will be released nationwide on November 6, tells the story behind the “It’s a Wonderful Life” star’s real-life military service.
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A press release reads: “This moving film tells the untold story of Stewart’s military service in World War II.” “As a thank you to those who serve and the loved ones who support them, Barnes & Company would like to make available one million tickets donated through Vet Tix so that active duty military, veterans, first responders and their families can see ‘Jimmy’ in theaters through corporate, philanthropic and community donations.”
The kind initiative to give back to veterans and first responders is being funded by Hien Papaian, founder of Papaian Studio, a new media company “committed to developing and supporting projects that illuminate faith, inspire hope, and positively impact culture.”
Papaian, who also served as an executive producer on “Jimmy,” founded the veteran initiative in honor of her husband, Haig Papaian Jr., who passed away in 2024. She contributed the first 10,000 tickets to the campaign.
“The moment I read the script for Jimmy, I knew this was the story that Papaya Studios needed to make.”
“Beyond the glamor of Hollywood and the trials of war, what resonated most was the message of kindness, something our world desperately needs right now.” Jimmy reminds us to look beyond our own struggles, embrace the suffering of others, and choose grace. ”
She continued, “That belief is the foundation of Papaian Studios and reflects my husband’s kindness, which was truly contagious.”
As previously reported, Stewart is known for his illustrious Hollywood career and for bringing the beloved character George Bailey to life in the seminal classic It’s a Wonderful Life.
Actor KJ Apa will play Stewart in Jimmy, which is produced and directed by Aaron Burns (Burns & Company Productions).
“[The film]beautifully captures James Stewart’s transformational period in the 1940s,” the press release said. “From award-winning Hollywood stalwarts (and most eligible bachelors),
US Army Air Corps. From World War II commanders to lovesick GIs. Jimmy Stewart, a war hero turned wounded man, returns home lost. Until “It’s a Wonderful Life” found him. ”
With that in mind, this film will provide a powerful lens into Stewart’s personal story of heroism, faith, and navigating Hollywood.
Other cast members for the project include “Seinfeld” star Jason Alexander (Louis B. Mayer), “The Sopranos” actor Max Casella (Frank Capra), “Grey’s Anatomy” alum Sarah Drew (Hedda Hopper) and “Days of Our Lives” star Jen Lilly (Gloria Stewart).
Burns told CBN News in a 2024 interview about his motivations for making the project a reality.
He, like many Americans, has known Stewart as an actor for a long time, but said his perspective was broadened several years ago when he chanced upon an article detailing Stewart’s backstory, the decision to enter World War II that took Stewart from Hollywood to the battlefield.
“The storyteller in me was really intrigued by this,” he said.
The filmmaker recalled some of Stewart’s origin story, explaining that he grew up in a small town and had a devoted father who served as a deacon in the Presbyterian church.
“(The father) just prayed for his son, raised him, invested in him,” he said. “And then all of a sudden, Jimmy becomes a successful actor and heads to Hollywood and rises through the ranks and becomes a big star.”
Of course, Stewart went on to win an Oscar and receive four more nominations, but Burns said the actor still felt somewhat “empty.” He just wasn’t sure if he was a “fake movie star” or a “real hero.” At the time, in the early 1940s, global instability was at its peak and “war clouds were gathering.”
That’s when Stewart made a surprising decision.
“[Stewart]said, ‘I wanted to be more than just a Tinseltown hero. I wanted to serve my country and serve my fellow Americans.'”
Burns said Stewart was a civilian pilot before deciding to join the Army Air Corps and becoming a wartime commander, leading thousands of men on bombing missions during the war.
“[It was]a great story that Jimmy Stewart could never have imagined,” he said.
One of the moving stories Burns shared was about a letter Stewart received from his father before he left for war. The note, which he kept in his uniform pocket, contained a copy of Psalm 91.
“It’s the comfort of the Lord and the Lord being with you,” Burns said. “And his father said, ‘I’m confident. God is with you and I’ll be praying for you while you’re away. You’ll get home safe.’ And (Stewart) carried those words with him in his uniform every time he went on a mission.”
The actor returned home safely, but suffered from PTSD after seeing hundreds of his men shot down and killed. By the time Stewart left the battlefield, he was far from the Hollywood star he had been before fighting on the front lines.
“He…asked himself, ‘Can I go back to Hollywood?'” Burns said. “And…his contract is up and no one wants him.” So he got one offer to make a movie. That was “Jimmy’s War,” where you could become a bomber pilot and bomb Nazis in front of the camera. He was like, ‘Sorry, I can’t do that.’ ”
But Stewart received a call from an old friend, Hollywood director Frank Capra, who had also served in World War II. Capra told Stewart he had “the perfect role.”
“Capra… said, ‘I’ve got a role that’s perfect for you. Jimmy, I was struggling too. We were at war. No one wants me, but maybe we can do this project together,'” Burns said. “That’s a great story.”
Stewart ended up playing the role of George Bailey, and the rest is history.
“It’s a Transformative Life is a transformative and inspirational film for all Americans, and it was a transformative film for Jimmy as well,” Burns said, adding that he is excited to tell the story behind the story.
“I want kids to know about the hero that Jimmy Stewart is, to see what he went through, to see the sacrifices he made for us, to see the powerful prayers and love of a father for his son, and the impact that has on him. So we’re helping to tell that story.”
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