Wretch Like Me - The Beginning

We just got back from Portland. And something shifted. More than 15 actors gathered in a room and brought Wretch Like Me to life in a full table read that was electric, grounded, and emotionally raw. It wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t performative. It was honest. And it hit.

For the first time, we heard the entire story breathe.

The Cast

This trip wasn’t theoretical. It was real faces. Real voices. Real weight. The faces in the movie.

Winslow West (Becca) walked into the room carrying exactly what Becca needs - defiance, vulnerability, and that fragile strength that makes you want to protect her but also know she doesn’t want to be protected. She’s the heartbeat of the film.

Finley Vleer (Asher) brought innocence and quiet courage. He doesn’t posture. He doesn’t perform. He just is. The kind of young actor who makes you lean forward because you believe him. His chemistry with Winslow is natural and unforced. You can feel Asher’s quiet love for her without him ever saying it.

Luke Barnett (Uncle Matt) found something chilling in the restraint. Controlled. Confident. Dangerous in a way that feels painfully real.

Victor Morris (Pastor James) grounded everything. Strength without ego. A protector who has seen darkness but isn’t ruled by it.

Scott Maucere, Lara Cuddy, and the producing team spoke with clarity and conviction about why this story matters right now.

And then there’s Collin Hegna, whose early conversations about the score reminded us that this film won’t shout. It will ache. It will linger.

The Photos

At Rose City Park, with stained glass spilling muted color across the room, we captured character portraits that feel like frames from the movie.

Square. Natural light. No glamour. No posing. Just presence.

Winslow alone - sacred and uneasy. Finley alone - small but brave. Winslow and Finley together - layered with unspoken first love.

Luke looming. Victor steady. The men together - composed, restrained, but with something dark underneath.

If you saw these images without context, you’d know immediately: This story carries weight.

We’ll be receiving the remaining photos from Levy Moroshan this week and I cannot wait to share them.

The Interviews

We filmed in-depth conversations with cast and crew around the core heartbeat of the film: Faith and fear. Helplessness. Generational weight. Beauty and dread.

The through-line was clear. This is not spectacle horror. This is emotionally grounded. Character first. Real. Restrained. And when the darkness presses in, it presses into something solid and lived-in. The idea that we had to fully embrace the darkness of the story so that the light of Jesus could truly shine was no longer just a theory. It had become a fully realized creative vision; and one that’s impossible to ignore.

I’ll begin editing those interviews this week and will start sharing pieces with you very soon.

The Script

Now comes the work. Over the next several days, I’ll be going through the recording of the table read line by line. Listening for rhythm. For truth. For the moments that need tightening.

We are close. The final locked draft is within reach.

The Timer

Here’s the part that feels urgent. We are in the exact right moment with Winslow, Finley, and Doug Jones.

They are at the precise age where this story works perfectly. Their dynamic. Their innocence. Their strength. It is lightning in a bottle. But that window doesn’t stay open forever. If we are going to capitalize on this casting - and I believe with everything in me that we should - we need to shoot this fall.

Not someday. Not vaguely. Not eventually. Fall. That means the next stretch matters more than ever.

If you’ve been praying for this project, please keep praying. Specifically for:

• The remaining financing to come together quickly.

• The right partners to step in at the right time.

• Clarity and favor as we move toward production.

There is real momentum right now. Creative alignment. Business alignment. The right people in place. It feels like the starting gun just went off. And we are off to the races.

What’s Next

• Editing interviews this week

• Reviewing and tightening the final draft

• Receiving and sharing Levy’s character photos

• Storyboarding the entire film

• Continuing conversations toward fall production

I’ll be sharing new footage and images in the coming days.

Thank you for the prayers. Thank you for the encouragement. Thank you for believing in this story and the unbelievable impact it could have on a generation of movie goers.

We are closer than we’ve ever been. Let’s see what God does next.